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Background: Listeria monocytogenes is a commonly found organism in processed and prepared food and the disease of listeriosis is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. Compared with the general population, the risk of being diagnosed with listeriosis increases during pregnancy. Listeriosis can lead to miscarriage, spontaneous preterm labour and preterm birth, stillbirth and congenital neonatal infections. Objectives: We conducted a universal review of listeriosis in pregnancy and in the newborn. Search strategy: The EMBASE, PubMed, Cinahl and Web of Science databases were searched for systematic reviews indexed before 1 December 2020. Selection criteria: Any systematic reviews evaluating the prevalence, treatment, diagnosis and effects of listeriosis during pregnancy and up to 4 weeks postnatally were included. Data collection and analysis: Eligibility assessment, data extraction and quality assessment by the Methodological Quality Assessment of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR‐2) were performed in duplicate. Main results: We identified 397 citations of which nine systematic reviews comprising 330 studies and 487 patients' reviews were included. Most systematic reviews (seven of nine) were of moderate to high quality. Prevention in pregnant women was based on adherence to strict dietary recommendations, such as reheating leftovers until steamed and avoiding unpasteurised dairy products. Listeriosis infections were likely to occur in the third trimester (66%) rather than in the first trimester (3%) of pregnancy. Symptoms are mostly fever and other flu‐like symptoms, such as fatigue. Diagnosis was primarily made by culture of the pathogen. Intravenous amoxicillin or ampicillin were first‐line treatment. Conclusions: Listeriosis, a rare but serious infectious disease in pregnancy, can cause devastating consequences for the fetus and newborn. Appropriate preventative treatment should be initiated during early pregnancy to avoid complications. Listeria is commonly found in processed and prepared food. Prevention is the best way to avoid listeriosis during pregnancy. Listeria is commonly found in processed and prepared food. Prevention is the best way to avoid listeriosis during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare blood pressure and prevalence of pregnancy-induced hypertension in women with polycystic ovary syndrome and the reference group throughout pregnancy.Material and Methods: This retrospective study was part of the prospective study Odense Child Cohort. Pregnant women were recruited from January 2010 to December 2012. Blood pressure was measured in 200 women with polycystic ovary syndrome and in 2197 in the reference group. Main outcome measures were blood pressure and pregnancy-induced hypertension. Pregnancy-induced hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg occurring after gestational week 20 at two separate visits. Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-square test were used to test differences between women with polycystic ovary syndrome and the reference group. Associations between polycystic ovary syndrome status (PCOS; the reference group) and blood pressure were tested using random mixed-effect linear regression analyses with subjects as random effect to comply with repeated blood pressure measurements.Results: Median blood pressure was comparable in women with polycystic ovary syndrome and the reference group throughout pregnancy: systolic blood pressure 116 (111-123) vs 119 (112-124) (P = .06), diastolic blood pressure 72 (69-77) vs 73 (69-78) (P = .23) and mean arterial pressure 87 (83-93) vs 88 (84-92) (P = .13). In first trimester where systolic blood pressure was lower in polycystic ovary syndrome, median systolic blood pressure was 116 (111-123) vs 119 (112-124) mmHg (P = .04). The prevalence of pregnancy-induced hypertension was similar in polycystic ovary syndrome and the reference group: 17/200 (8.5%) vs 178/1997 (8.9%) (P = .84). Regression analyses showed no significant associations between polycystic ovary syndrome and blood pressure.Conclusions: Blood pressure and prevalence of pregnancy-induced hypertension were comparable in pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome and the reference group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pregnancy-induced hypertension is a severe pregnancy complication, increasing risk of long-term cardiovascular disease in mothers and offspring. We hypothesized that maternal blood pressure in pregnancy associated with offspring blood pressure; that the associations were sex-specific; and that maternal circulating placental angiogenic markers (PlGF [placental growth factor] and sFlt-1 [soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1]) mediated this relationship. We analyzed data from 2434 women and 2217 children from the Odense Child Cohort, a prospective Danish cohort study. Offspring blood pressure trajectory from 4 months to 5 years was highly associated to maternal first, second, and third trimester blood pressure, and mean blood pressure in pregnancy, independent of maternal and offspring covariates. There were offspring sex-specific associations: Girls from mothers in the highest quartile of first and third trimester blood pressure had significantly higher systolic blood pressure at 5 years than the rest of the cohort (mean difference±SEM: 1.81±0.59 and 2.11±0.59 mm Hg, respectively, all P<0.01); whereas boys had significantly higher diastolic blood pressure at 5 years (mean difference±SEM: 1.11±0.45 and 1.03±0.45, respectively, all P<0.05). Concentrations of PlGF at gestational week 28 correlated inversely to maternal gestational blood pressure trajectory, independent of the diagnosis of pregnancy-induced hypertension, adjusted β coefficients (95% CI) for predicting systolic blood pressure (SBP): -3.18 (-4.66 to -1.70) mm Hg, for predicting diastolic blood pressure (DBP): -2.48 (-3.57 to -1.40) mm Hg. In conclusion, maternal gestational blood pressure predicted offspring blood pressure trajectory until 5 years in a sex-differential manner. Furthermore, subtle alterations in blood pressure in early pregnancy preceded hypertension or preeclampsia, and PlGF was a mediator of cardiovascular health in pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Albuminuria in the pathological range is a significant predictor of preeclampsia. In healthy persons, high normal urinary albumin predicts a later incidence of hypertension and is associated with salt sensitivity of blood pressure. We hypothesized that in pregnancy urinary albumin in the normal range associates with blood pressure through activation of distal Na+ reabsorption and renal salt retention by plasma factors cofiltered with albumin. We analyzed 24-h urine collections and plasma samples from gestational week 29 of 560 pregnant women from the Odense Child Cohort, a Danish population-based cohort. Plasma and urinary aldosterone were measured by ELISA. Plasma and urinary Na+, K+, Cl-, and creatinine were also determined. Predictive values of urinary albumin were assessed by linear mixed, multiple, and Cox regression analyses. Primary outcomes were blood pressure and renal electrolyte handling. Twenty-four-hour urinary albumin excretion at gestational week 29 associated with gestational blood pressure trajectory, with adjusted β coefficients (95% confidence intervals) for each 10-fold increase in urinary albumin as follows: 5.71 (1.60 to 9.81) mmHg for systolic blood pressure and 4.39 (1.41 to 7.38) mmHg for diastolic blood pressure. Urinary albumin was inversely associated with fractional excretion rates of Na+, K+, and Cl-, with adjusted β coefficients (95% confidence intervals) for each 10-fold increase in urine albumin as follows: -0.25 (-0.35 to -0.14), -5.06 (-6.81 to -3.30), and -0.28 (-0.41 to -0.15), respectively. In conclusion, at gestational week 29, urinary albumin excretion in the normal range associated with blood pressure and renal electrolyte handling independent of potential confounders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opioid use during pregnancy has serious consequences for mother and baby. The true extent of the problem is unknown and there is a need for better screening. Existing guidelines with respect to the management of pregnant women with opioid use are based on limited evidence. To improve recommendations for optimal identification, management, and treatment, publications on opioids in pregnancy were reviewed. Published literature from 2007 to 2017 was searched in PubMed, Cochrane and Embase databases. The review employed 60 publications from 210 studies identified, that were of varying quality and included randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and Cochrane reviews. The prevalence of opioid use in pregnancy is underestimated. Screening by urine testing and self-reporting is acceptable to identify fetal exposure. To minimize risk, opioid agonist pharmacotherapy should replace the continued use of opioids or detoxification. Current guidelines recommend methadone and buprenorphine equally. However, recent studies indicate that buprenorphine has advantages over methadone. Accordingly, we suggest buprenorphine as first-line therapy. Future studies should elaborate on better objective screening methods to prevent the consequences of fetomaternal opioid exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the derived changes in maternity care have created stress and anxiety among pregnant women in different parts of the world. In times of stress and crisis, spirituality, including spiritual and religious practices, may increase. To describe if the COVID-19 pandemic influenced pregnant women's considerations and practises of existential meaning-making and to investigate such considerations and practices during the early pandemic in a large nationwide sample. We used survey data from a nationwide cross-sectional study sent to all registered pregnant women in Denmark during April and May 2020. We used questions from four core items on prayer and meditation practices. A total of 30,995 women were invited, of whom 16,380 participated (53%). Among respondents, we found that 44% considered themselves believers, 29% confirmed a specific form of prayer, and 18% confirmed a specific form of meditation. In addition, most respondents (88%) reported that the COVID-19 pandemic had not influenced their responses. In a nationwide Danish cohort of pregnant women, existential meaning-making considerations and practices were not changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly one in two study participants described themselves as believers, and many practised prayer and/or meditation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pregnant women with type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are at increased risk of developing preeclampsia (PE). Plasminogen is aberrantly filtrated from plasma into tubular fluid in PE patients and activated to plasmin. Plasmin activates the epithelial sodium channel in the collecting ducts potentially causing impaired sodium excretion, suppression of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and hypertension in PE. The objective of the study was to test whether urinary total plasmin(ogen)/creatinine ratio and plasma concentration of aldosterone were better predictors of PE in pregnant women with T1DM compared with urine albumin and haemoglobin A 1C . The design was a longitudinal observational study of 88 pregnant T1DM patients at 2 Danish centers. Spot urine- and blood samples were collected at gestational weeks 12, 20, 28, 32, and 36. U-plasmin(ogen)/creatinine ratio increased during pregnancy. In gestational week 36, the ratio was significantly increased in the T1DM patients developing PE ( P < .05). P-aldosterone was significantly increased in gestational week 20 in the group developing PE ( P < .05). U-albumin/creatinine ratio was significantly increased and predicted PE at all tested gestational ages. U-albumin/creatinine ratio had a stronger association with the development of PE compared to u-total plasmin(ogen)/creatinine ratio and p-aldosterone. The positive association between u-total plasmin(ogen) and development of PE late in pregnancy is compatible with involvement in PE pathophysiology. The significance of albumin in urine emphasizes the importance of preventing renal complications when planning pregnancy in patients with type I diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The angiogenic factor ratio soluble Fms–kinase 1 (sFlt–1)/placental growth factor (PlGF) is a novel diagnostic tool for preeclampsia. We compared the efficacy of the KRYPTOR (BRAHMS) automated assays for sFlt–1 and PlGF with the Elecsys (Roche) assays in a routine clinical setting. Preeclamptic women (n = 39) were included shortly after the time of diagnosis. Normotensive control pregnancies were matched by gestational age (n = 76). The KRYPTOR assays performed comparably or superior to Elecsys (sFlt–1/PlGF area under the curve 0.746 versus 0.735; P = .09; for non–obese 0.820 versus 0.805, P = .047). For early–onset preeclampsia, KRYPTOR area under the curve increased to 0.929 with a 100% specificity for preeclampsia at cut–off 85 and an 88.9% sensitivity for preeclampsia at cut–off 33. For women with preeclampsia and preterm delivery or Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, Low Platelet count (HELLP) syndrome, the KRYPTOR sFlt–1/PlGF ratio was manifold increased ( P < .01). The sFlt–1/PlGF ratio proved especially useful in early–onset preeclampsia, preeclampsia with preterm delivery or HELLP, and among non–obese women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To study the effects of lifestyle intervention in pregnancy on weight retention 6 months postpartum among obese women from the 'Lifestyle in Pregnancy' (LiP) study, and to determine associations between breastfeeding with postpartum maternal weight. Design Six months postpartum follow up after a randomized controlled intervention trial. Setting Two university hospitals in Denmark. Population A total of 360 women with pregestational body mass index ≥30 kg/m2. Methods The intervention involved lifestyle changes (diet and exercise) during pregnancy. The control group received routine pregnancy care. Both groups received standard postnatal care. Main outcome measures Gestational weight gain, postpartum weight retention and breastfeeding. Results Follow up was completed in 238 women of whom 46% in the intervention group and 57% in the control group had retained weight 6 months postpartum ( p = 0.088). Women with gestational weight gain ≤9 kg, (recommended by the Institute of Medicine), retained less postpartum weight compared with those who exceeded 9 kg (median −0.7 vs. 1.5, p < 0.001). Ninety-two percent in both weight gain groups initiated breastfeeding. The number of breastfeeding mothers was higher among women with postpartum weight retention ≤5 kg compared with those with weight retention > 5 kg (94% vs. 85%, p = 0.034). Conclusions We could not detect sustained weight control at 6 months postpartum despite a lower gestational weight gain for obese women during pregnancy who received a lifestyle intervention rather than standard care. Women who adhered to gestational weight gain recommendations had significantly lower postpartum weight retention. Breastfeeding for 6 months was negatively associated with postpartum weight retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Without this information, no comment can be made on species-specific function with respect to the percentage of I Lactobacillus i strains that produce H SB 2 sb O SB 2 sb , bacteriocins or lactic acid, including the ratio of the l- and d-isomers of lactic acid, and whether the lactic acid molecules are protonated (i.e. with non-dissociated H SP + sp , giving a neutrally charged ion) or are lactate anions (i.e. with dissociated H SP + sp , giving a negatively charged ion). The protonated form of lactic acid (which predominates at a pH of <3.9) has antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties compared with the lactate anion, which has no bacteriocidal or virucidal activity.[2] Currently, approximately 180 species of I Lactobacilli i have been identified, most of which are used in the food industry, and some of which have been isolated in the human vagina. The role of lactic acid production by probiotic Lactobacillus species in vaginal health. [Extracted from the article]

Worldwide eight children have been born as a result of transplanting frozen/thawed ovarian tissue. Two of these children were born in Denmark following transport of the ovarian tissue for a period of 5 h prior to cryopreservation. One of these women, who was originally transplanted with six pieces of ovarian cortex, after having experienced a period of menopause has now conceived again following natural conception. She gave birth to a healthy girl on 23 September 2008 and is therefore the first woman in the world to have had two children, from separate pregnancies, born as a result of transplanting frozen/thawed ovarian tissue. This result encourages further development of cryopreservation of ovarian tissue for fertility preservation as a clinical procedure for girls and young women facing gonadotoxic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A letter to the editor is presented regarding a report on the occurrence of a pregnancy in a non-communicating rudimentary uterine horn in an obese woman.

• PFAS exposure associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure in pregnancy. • No clear associations between PFAS exposure and PE or GH were found. • Blood pressure increase was small but at a population level this may increase hypertension. • This has potential long term health implications for both the mother and the child. Previous studies of association between exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and gestational hypertension (GH) and preeclampsia (PE) have shown conflicting results, but most dichotomized outcome and did not study continuous blood pressure (BP) changes. To study the association between PFAS exposure in early pregnancy and maternal BP trajectories in pregnancy, gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. 1436 women were enrolled in the Odense Child Cohort in early pregnancy and had a serum sample drawn, from which perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) were measured using LC–MS/MS. Repeated BP measurements through pregnancy and information on PE were obtained from hospital files. Adjusted linear mixed models were used to investigate association between PFAS exposure and BP trajectory. Associations between PFAS and PE and GH were assessed by Cox proportional hazards model. All women had measurable concentrations of PFAS. In all of many comparisons higher PFAS exposure (apart from PFHxS) was associated with higher systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures, although not all were significant, which is unlikely to be due to chance. After adjustment, each doubling in PFOS or PFOA exposure was associated with 0.47 mmHg (95% CI: −0.13; 1.08) and 0.36 mmHg (−0.19; 0.92) higher SBP; and 0.58 mmHg (0.13; 1.04) and 0.37 mmHg (−0.05; 0.79) higher DBP. No clear associations between PFAS exposure and PE or GH were found. The magnitude of the association between PFAS exposure and BP might appear small, statistically non-significant and the possible clinical importance low. However, at a population level this may slightly shift the distribution of BP towards an increased incidence of GH. If BP increases in pregnancy, it may have long-term impact on health not only of the pregnant woman but also of her offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]