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This article discusses a retrospective case-control study that evaluated the effectiveness and safety of valacyclovir in preventing congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during pregnancy. The study included 80 pregnant women with primary CMV infection, divided into two groups: one group received valacyclovir during pregnancy, while the other did not. The results showed that the presence of CMV DNA in the amniotic fluid was significantly lower in the group that received valacyclovir. Additionally, ultrasound anomalies and anomalies on fetal echocardiography were also lower in the valacyclovir group. The study concludes that valacyclovir is effective and safe in preventing congenital CMV infection. [Extracted from the article]

This article presents a new artificial intelligence (AI) method for analyzing ultrasound videos of the fetal heart. The method automatically segments the three-vessel view (3VV) and characterizes its structures by analyzing morphological features. The researchers manually segmented the pulmonary artery (PA), aorta (Ao), and superior vena cava (SVC) in a set of frames to support the understanding of morphology. The results show that the method achieves accurate segmentations and performs at a high frame rate, making it suitable for real-time implementation. This technology could be used to detect congenital heart defects in ultrasound videos of the fetal heart. [Extracted from the article]

This article, titled "OC06.02: Impact of an early detailed ultrasound following a high‐risk cell‐free DNA: a systematic review and meta‐analysis," examines the performance of a detailed ultrasound (US) performed within 14 weeks after a high-risk cell-free DNA (cfDNA) test for trisomy 21 (T21), 18 (T18), and 13 (T13). The study included six studies reporting on 691 early thorough scans after high-risk cfDNA for T21, T18, and T13. The results showed that an early detailed US had higher sensitivity, specificity, and positive likelihood ratio in fetuses at high risk for T13/T18, supporting the use of chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis (AC) in case of abnormal and normal scans, respectively. However, the performance of the US was suboptimal in detecting false positive T21 cases within 14 weeks. The authors suggest that future studies with unblinded clinicians to cfDNA results are needed. [Extracted from the article]

This article, titled "OP16.07: Outcomes of twin pregnancies complicated by prelabour rupture of membranes before 26 weeks of gestation: systematic review and meta-analysis," examines the obstetric and perinatal outcomes of premature rupture of membranes (PROM) in twin pregnancies occurring before 26 weeks. The study analyzed eight studies with a total of 227 twin pregnancies. The findings showed that the rate of termination of pregnancy (TOP) was 4.6%, while the rate of selective TOP (sTOP) was 24.5%. The overall rate of spontaneous miscarriage or fetal demise was 20.9%, and the live birth rate of at least one twin was 71.6%. Neonatal mortality was 26.4%, but pregnancies undergoing sTOP had a higher live birth rate of 87.7%. The study concludes that PROM in twins before 26 weeks is associated with high rates of adverse outcomes and calls for larger prospective studies with unified protocols for antenatal surveillance and management. [Extracted from the article]

This article, titled "OC20.01: Twin versus singleton growth charts in the diagnosis of small for gestational age in twin pregnancy: systematic review and meta-analysis," examines the use of singleton and twin growth charts in diagnosing small for gestational age (SGA) in twin pregnancies. The study found that using twin charts to diagnose SGA in twins resulted in a lower rate of SGA compared to using singleton charts. Additionally, SGA twins diagnosed with twin charts had a higher risk of adverse neonatal outcomes compared to those diagnosed with singleton charts. The authors suggest that twin charts may be more specific in identifying SGA twins at higher risk of adverse outcomes, but further research is needed to determine the most accurate method for growth assessment and prediction of adverse outcomes in twins. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of and risk associated with chorionic villus sampling for genetic investigations in multiple pregnancies, and to evaluate the accuracy of the ultrasonographic detection of chorionicity during the first trimester. Patients and Methods A total of 198 sets of twins and nine sets of triplets from 10 087 consecutive first-trimester pregnancies undergoing chorionic villus sampling were considered. Gestational age ranged from 7 to 12.6 weeks. Assessment and confirmation of chorionicity was based on a multiplicity of features. Dichorionicity was established in 169 sets of twins (85.3%) and trichorionicity in all triplet cases, while 29 twins were considered monochorionic. Chorionic villus sampling was performed transabdominally in all but one case, and identification of the placental insertion of the umbilical cord was the main benchmark for sampling. Sampling risks were evaluated by comparing clinical outcome with that of a control population of 63 dichorionic twin pregnancies which underwent no invasive procedure. Results Determination of the presence or absence of the lambda sign led to a correct assignment of chorionicity in all cases, while the presence of a membrane thickness of 2 mm or more reflected a 100% specificity with a 22% false negative rate. Sampling was successfully performed in all cases and in only four cases (1.0%) were two needle insertions needed. At follow-up no evidence of incorrect sampling was reported. Karyotyping was provided to all patients, and in 94.1% of cases both short and long-term culture methods were carried out. No difference in fetal and perinatal losses between the study and control populations was found, but a higher rate of deliveries before 37 weeks and of low birth weight babies was noted amongst controls. Conclusions Chorionicity in twin pregnancy can be determined with certainty between 7 and 12 weeks of gestation; in cases of confluent placentas reliability is provided by determining the presence or absence of the lambda sign. This study indicates that first-trimester transabdominal chorionic villus sampling is a highly efficient, reliable, and relatively safe approach for genetic diagnosis in twin pregnancies. Although a precise evaluation of the relative risks of chorionic villus sampling and mid-trimester amniocentesis in twins must await randomized control studies, the advantages of a first-trimester diagnosis to enable early decision-making about selective fetal reduction are obvious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]