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Background As a daily point measurement, basal body temperature (BBT) might not be able to capture the temperature shift in the menstrual cycle because a single temperature measurement is present on the sliding scale of the circadian rhythm. Wrist skin temperature measured continuously during sleep has the potential to overcome this limitation. Objective This study compares the diagnostic accuracy of these two temperatures for detecting ovulation and to investigate the correlation and agreement between these two temperatures in describing thermal changes in menstrual cycles. Methods This prospective study included 193 cycles (170 ovulatory and 23 anovulatory) collected from 57 healthy women. Participants wore a wearable device (Ava Fertility Tracker bracelet 2.0) that continuously measured the wrist skin temperature during sleep. Daily BBT was measured orally and immediately upon waking up using a computerized fertility tracker with a digital thermometer (Lady-Comp). An at-home luteinizing hormone test was used as the reference standard for ovulation. The diagnostic accuracy of using at least one temperature shift detected by the two temperatures in detecting ovulation was evaluated. For ovulatory cycles, repeated measures correlation was used to examine the correlation between the two temperatures, and mixed effect models were used to determine the agreement between the two temperature curves at different menstrual phases. Results Wrist skin temperature was more sensitive than BBT (sensitivity 0.62 vs 0.23; P Conclusions For women interested in maximizing the chances of pregnancy, wrist skin temperature continuously measured during sleep is more sensitive than BBT for detecting ovulation. The difference in the diagnostic accuracy of these methods was likely attributed to the greater temperature increase in the postovulatory phase and greater temperature decrease during the menstrual phase for the wrist skin temperatures.

Background: Fetal myelomeningocele (fMMC) repair is a therapeutic option in selected cases. This study aimed to identify risk factors for preterm birth (PTB) following open fMMC repair. Methods: Sixty-seven women underwent fMMC repair and delivered a baby between 2010 and 2018 at our center. Demographic, surgical, and pregnancy complications, including potential risk factors for PTB such as preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), chorioamniotic membrane separation (CMS), and placental abruption were evaluated. Results: Maternal body mass index, maternal age, parity, previous uterine surgery, gestational age at fetal surgery, total surgery duration, surgical subcutaneous hematoma, oligohydramnios, and amniotic fluid leakage were not identified as risk factors for PTB. CMS (p = 0.028, 92 vs. 52%) and PPROM (p = 0.001, 95 vs. 52%) were highly associated with PTB. Placental abruption was found more often in women after fMMC repair than in a general obstetrical population (12 vs. 1%) and ended in premature birth in all cases (p = 0.024, 100 vs. 60%). However, the majority of women delivered at a gestational age >35 weeks. Conclusions: In our study cohort, risk factors for PTB were PPROM, CMS, and placental abruption, whereas surgery duration did not influence outcome. We conclude that the surgery technique should aim to minimize CMS and amniotic fluid leakage.