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Purpose Haemorrhage, preeclampsia and sepsis are the leading causes of renal dysfunction in women with a maternal nearmiss(MNM) complication. The study aimed to assess the prevalence, pattern and follow up of these women. Methods This was a hospital based prospective observational study, conducted over one year. All women with a MNM leading to acute kidney injury (AKI) were analysed for fetomaternal outcomes and renal function at 1 year of followup. Results The incidence of MNM was 43.04 per 1000 livebirths. 18.2% women developed AKI. 51.1% women developed AKI in the puerperal period. Most common cause of AKI was haemorrhage seen in 38.3% women. The majority of women had s.creatinine between 2.1 to 5 mg/dl and 44.68% required dialysis. 80.8% women recovered fully when the treatment was initiated within 24 h. One patient underwent renal transplant. Conclusion Early diagnosis and treatment of AKI results in full recovery.

Background: The composition of the human milk microbiome is highly variable and multifactorial. Milk microbiota from various countries show striking differences. There is a paucity of data from healthy lactating Indian mothers. Research Aim: To describe the milk microbiota of healthy North Indian women, using a culture-independent, targeted metagenomic approach. Methods: We recruited exclusively breastfeeding mothers ( N = 22) who had vaginally delivered full-term singleton infants in a tertiary care hospital less than 1 week previously and had not recently consumed systemic antibiotics. Milk samples (5 ml) were collected aseptically, and microbial deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted. Microbial composition and diversity were determined using a 454-pyrosequencing platform. Core genera were identified, and their relative abundances ranked. Heatmaps showing the variation of the ranked abundances and Shannon index were obtained using R. Results: Participants (all exclusively vegetarian) had a mean ( SD) age of 27.2 (3.4) years, postnatal age of 3.9 (1.6) days and gestation 38 (1.2) weeks. The dominant phylum was Proteobacterium (relative abundance 84%) and dominant genus Pseudomonas (relative abundance 61.78%). Eleven species of Pseudomonas were identified, all generally considered nonpathogenic. Based on abundance patterns of the core genera, the milk samples could be grouped: (a) dominated by Pseudomonas with low diversity; (b) less Pseudomonas and high diversity; and (c) dominated by Pseudomonas but high diversity. All neonates were healthy and gaining weight well at 1 month of age. Conclusions: Healthy, lactating, vegetarian, North Indian women who deliver at term gestation and have no recent exposure to antibiotics, have a unique milk microbiome dominated by Pseudomonas.

Background Plasma brain natriuretic peptide levels were prospectively studied in pregnant women with heart disease. Methods Fifty pregnant women with heart disease and 25 controls were evaluated at 24 weeks or under, 30–32 weeks, 34 weeks or more of gestation, and 6 weeks postpartum. Adverse maternal cardiac events were hospitalization for worsening heart failure, stroke, and death. Results Thirty-eight (76%) women had rheumatic heart disease. Plasma brain natriuretic peptide levels were (in cases and controls) 118.3 ± 46.5 pg/ml and 66.3 ± 15.9 pg/ml (at 24 weeks or under), 124.8 ± 30.4 pg/ml and 68.4 ± 16.5 pg/ml (30–32 weeks), 135.8 ± 34.9 pg/ml and 68.6 ± 15.6 pg/ml (34 weeks or more), and 110.1 ± 21.9 pg/ml and 65.0 ± 16.1 pg/ml (6 weeks postpartum) (p = .0001). Eighteen women had adverse events. Of these, only 1 had a level less than 100 pg/ml, 12 were between 100 and 200 pg/ml, and 5 more than 200 pg/ml. Conclusions Plasma brain natriuretic peptide levels were higher in women with heart disease at all periods of gestation as well as six weeks postpartum. No woman with a plasma brain natriuretic peptide levels of 98 pg/ml or less had an adverse event.

The objective was to evaluate pregnancy outcome in women with tetralogy of Fallot, including impact of corrective cardiac surgery on pregnancy outcome in a tertiary care referral hospital. The study was a retrospective analysis of maternal and perinatal outcome in all women with tetralogy of Fallot treated in a cardio-obstetric unit during 1996–2008. Ten women had 21 pregnancies. Of the 10 women, 7 with uncorrected tetralogy of Fallot had 16 pregnancies. Obstetric and cardiac complications were more frequent in the uncorrected group (70% vs 40% and 40% vs nil, respectively). The frequency of spontaneous abortion and preterm birth was greater in the uncorrected group (37.5% vs nil and 25% vs nil, respectively). The percentage of babies who were small for gestational age was 40% in the uncorrected group and 20% in the corrected group. Tetralogy of Fallot carries substantial risk to mother and fetus. Surgical correction is associated with improved maternal and perinatal outcome. These patients need detailed prepregnancy evaluation and should be under joint supervision of an obstetrician, a cardiologist, a congenital cardiac surgeon, and an anesthetist.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common neoplastic diseases affecting women, with a worldwide incidence of almost half a million cases. A history of smoking and use of oral contraceptives have been confirmed to be risk factors for cervical cancer. Genetic susceptibility and immune response, especially impaired cellular immune response, may well be related to the development of cervical cancer. NBS1 is one of the key proteins participating in the recognition and repair of double-strand breaks that may lead to genomic instability and cancer if unrepaired. The objective of the present study was therefore to investigate NBS1 Glu185Gln gene polymorphisms and the risk of cervix cancer in a northern Indian population. We found that passive smokers having particular NBS1 genotypes (Glu/Gln, Gln/Gln or Glu/Gln + Gln/Gln) have an increased risk of developing cervix cancer (OR 5.21, p=0.000001; OR 4.60, p=0.001; OR 5.10, p=0.0000009, respectively). The risk was increased 2.4-fold in oral contraceptive users with a Glu/Gln genotype. We conclude that the risk of cervical cancer is increased in passive smokers and in users of oral contraceptives with certain NBS1 genotypes.

We report a patient with pregnancy at term in whom appendicitis mimicked haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome. A high index of suspicion of appendicitis should be kept in patients with abdominal pain and biochemical evidence of HELLP.