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Background The optimal threshold of birthweight discordance (BWD) remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between BWD at different thresholds and early neonatal outcomes and to assess their predictive accuracy. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study using a birthweight data with the chorionicity information of 2348 liveborn twin pairs at a gestational age of ≥26 weeks, from 2012 to 2018. The percentage of BWD was calculated by dividing the actual birthweight difference by the weight of the larger twin and multiplying by 100. Outcomes of interest included neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS), ventilator support and a composite outcome combining major morbidities and neonatal death. Logistic regression models were performed to estimate the association between neonatal outcomes and BWD with different thresholds (≥15.0%, ≥20.0%, ≥25% and ≥ 30%). Generalized estimated equation (GEE) models were used to address intertwin correlation. Restrictive cubic spline (RCS) models were established to draw the dose-response relationship between BWD and the odds ratios of outcomes. Clustered receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the predictive accuracy. Results Of 2348 twin pairs, including 1946 dichorionic twin pairs and 402 monochorionic twin pairs, BWD was significantly associated with NICU admission, regardless of the thresholds used. The incidence of NRDS, ventilator support and the composite outcome were significantly higher when a threshold of ≥20% or greater was chosen. The dose-response relationship showed nonlinear growth in the risk of adverse neonatal outcomes with increasing BWD. ROC analyses showed a low significant AUROC of 0.569 (95% CI: 0.526–0.612) for predicting NICU admission but no significant AUROCs for predicting other outcomes. A BWD of ≥30% provided a moderate increase in the likelihood of NICU admission [positive likelihood ratio (LR+) = 5.77]. Conclusion Although BWD is independently associated with adverse neonatal outcomes, it is not a single predictor for neonatal outcomes given the weak discriminative ability to predict neonatal outcomes. A cutoff of 30% is more practical for risk stratification among twin gestations.

Pengsheng Li,1,2,&ast; Haiyan Wang,2,3,&ast; Jinping Feng,2 Gengdong Chen,1,2 Zixing Zhou,1,2 Xiaoyan Gou,2,3 Shaoxin Ye,1,2 Dazhi Fan,1,2 Zhengping Liu,1,2 Xiaoling Guo2 1Foshan Fetal Medicine Research Institute, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Obstetrics, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, People’s Republic of China; 3Biobank, Foshan Fetal Medicine Research Institute, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xiaoling GuoDepartment of Obstetrics, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University Email fsguoxl@163.comPurpose: Prenatal depressive symptoms are an important mental health problem during pregnancy. We aimed to explore the moderating role of social support on the association between perceived stress and prenatal depressive symptoms.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at an obstetrics clinic. A total of 1846 women completed a self-administered questionnaire, with a response rate of 91.8%.Results: Of the 1846 participants, 28.2% reported prenatal depressive symptoms (Edinburgh postnatal depression scale score ≥ 9). After adjusting for demographic characteristics, gestational age, exercise, and passive smoking, both perceived stress (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.210, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.178– 1.242) and social support (AOR: 0.950, 95% CI: 0.932– 0.968) were associated with prenatal depressive symptoms. Moreover, social support had a moderating effect on the association between perceived stress and prenatal depressive symptoms (p < 0.001), and pregnant women with low social support were more likely to be affected by stress and experience prenatal depressive symptoms.Conclusion: Our study suggests that higher social support reduces the impact of stress on pregnant women, which in turn, decreases the risk of prenatal depressive symptoms. Therefore, interventions aimed at improving social support should be considered for the prevention and treatment of prenatal depressive symptoms.Keywords: prenatal depressive symptoms, stress, social support, moderation

ObjectiveTo compare the outcomes between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) vs. non-GDM twin gestations.MethodsA retrospective cohort study of 2,151 twin pregnancies was performed in a tertiary hospital in Foshan, China, 2012–2020. Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were compared between women with vs. without GDM using 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) and multivariable logistic models. For neonatal outcomes, generalized estimating equation (GEE) approach was used to address the intertwin correlation.ResultsOf the 2,151 participants, 472 women (21.9%) were diagnosed with GDM. Women with GDM were older and more likely to be overweight or obese, and more likely have chronic hypertension, assisted pregnancies and dichorionic twins. In the PSM cohort of 942 pregnancies, there was no statistical difference when comparing GDM twin pregnancies and non-GDM in any of the perinatal outcomes, especially in terms of preterm birth (PTB) P = 0.715), large for gestational age (LGA) (P = 0.521) and neonatal respiratory distress (NRDS) (P = 0.206). In the entire cohort, no significant adjusted ORs for these outcomes were obtained from logistic regression models adjusted for confounders (aOR for PTB < 37 weeks: 1.25, 95% CI: 0.98–1.58; aOR for LGA: 1.26, 95% CI: 0.88–1.82; and aOR for NRDS, 1.05, 95% CI: 0.68–1.64).ConclusionTwin pregnancies with GDM and adequate prenatal care have comparable perinatal outcomes to those without.

Background Previous evidence has suggested that lower gestational vitamin D levels might increase the risks of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. The results remain inconsistent and require further exploration. Methods A total of 2814 Chinese mother-infant pairs were included in this retrospective cohort study. Serum concentrations of 25(OH)D were reviewed in early pregnancy (16.3 ± 2.3 weeks). Outcomes of maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), cesarean section, fetal distress, preterm birth, low birth weight (LBW), and macrosomia were extracted from the medical records. Cox regression analysis was used to explore these associations. Results In total, 19.3% of mothers were pregnant at an advanced age (≥35 years), and 40.3% of pregnant women had vitamin D deficiency (HR) (95% CI) per standard deviation (SD) increase of serum 25(OH)D concentrations was 0.86 (0.779, 0.951) for GDM, 0.844 (0.730, 0.976) for preterm birth, and 0.849 (0.726, 0.993) for LBW. Similar protective associations were found for GDM, cesarean section, and preterm birth for a better vitamin D status when compared with vitamin D deficiency. Conclusion Higher early pregnancy vitamin D was associated with a lower risk of GDM, cesarean section, preterm birth, and LBW.

Background Inter-delivery interval (IDI) has been proven to be a factor associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. However, the optimal IDI in trial of labor after cesarean delivery (TOLAC) remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between IDI and major maternal and neonatal outcomes in women who underwent TOLAC. Methods A multicenter, retrospective cohort study including five hospitals was conducted between January 2018 and December 2019 in Foshan, China. This study included 1080 pregnant women with one or two cesarean deliveries who attempted a TOLAC. Data on maternal and neonatal outcomes were collected from the electronic record system. Maternal and neonatal outcomes in different groups of IDI were compared by univariate and multivariable analyses. Results A short IDI of, Plain Language summary An inter-delivery interval (IDI) that is too short or too long increases the risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. However, the optimal IDI for trial of labor after cesarean delivery (TOLAC) remains unclear. We performed a multicenter, electronic medical record-based, retrospective cohort study that included 1080 pregnant women who had one or two cesarean deliveries and underwent TOLAC. Data on maternal and neonatal outcomes were collected from the electronic record system. In multivariable analysis, the incidences of postpartum hemorrhage, preterm birth, and low birth weight were significantly increased in women with an IDI of

ObjectivePreviously, we found that the presence of maternal serum metals before the 24th week of gestation prospectively increased fasting plasma glucose (FPG) at 24–28 weeks. We further explored the prospective association between levels of metals and neonatal outcomes and assessed the mediating effects of FPG on these relationships.MethodsA total of 7,644 pregnant women were included in a retrospective cohort study, and the relationships between metals [manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and magnesium (Mg)] and birth outcomes were explored. Quantile and linear regressions were performed to detect the shifts and associations between metals and neonatal size distribution focused on the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles. Mediation analysis was performed to assess the mediating effect of FPG on metals and birth outcomes.ResultsAfter adjustment, a 50% increase in Mn and Zn levels was related to a 0.136-cm (95% CI: 0.067–0.205) and 0.120-cm (95% CI: 0.046–0.193) increase in head circumference, respectively. Based on head circumference distribution, the magnitude of the association with Mn was smaller at the upper tail, while the magnitude of correlation with Zn was greater at the upper tail. A 50% increase in Mn and Zn levels was related to a 0.135-cm (95% CI: 0.058–0.212) and 0.095-cm (95% CI: 0.013–0.178) increase in chest circumference, respectively. The magnitude of the association with Mn increased with increasing chest circumference, while the magnitude of correlation with Zn decreased with increasing chest circumference. FPG explained 10.00% and 17.65% of the associations of Mn with head and chest circumference. A positive indirect effect of Zn associated with head circumference (0.004, 95% CI: 0.002–0.006) and chest circumference (0.005, 95% CI: 0.003–0.008) through FPG was also observed, and the estimated proportion of the mediating effect was 13.79% and 26.32%, respectively.ConclusionMaternal serum Mn and Zn levels before the 24th week of gestation may prospectively increase the circumference of the neonatal head and chest. FPG at 24–28 weeks had positive mediating effects on these relationships. Further research is needed to identify a balance between maternal blood glucose and birth size.

Background The incidence of placenta preiva is rising. Cesarean delivery is identified as the only safe and appropriate mode of delivery for pregnancies with placenta previa. Anesthesia is important during the cesarean delivery. The aim of this study is to assess maternal and neonatal outcomes of patients with placenta previa managed with neuraxial anesthesia as compared to those who underwent general anesthesia during cesarean delivery. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed of all patients with placenta preiva at our large academic institution from January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2019. Patients were managed neuraxial anesthesia and general anesthesia during cesarean delivery. Results We identified 1234 patients with placenta previa who underwent cesarean delivery at our institution. Neuraxial anesthesia was performed in 737 (59.7%), and general anesthesia was completed in 497 (40.3%) patients. The mean estimated blood loss at neuraxial anesthesia of 558.96 ± 42.77 ml were significantly lower than the estimated blood loss at general anesthesia of 1952.51 ± 180 ml (p Conclusions Our data demonstrated that neuraxial anesthesia is associated with better maternal and neonatal outcomes during cesarean delivery in women with placenta previa.

Background Twin birth weight percentiles are less popular in clinical management among twin pregnancies compared with singleton ones in China. This study aimed to compare the incidence and neonatal outcomes of small for gestational age (SGA) twins between the use of singleton and twin birth weight percentiles. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of 3,027 pregnancies with liveborn twin pairs at gestational age of > 28 weeks. The newborns were categorized as SGA when a birthweight was less than the 10th percentile based on the singleton and twin references derived from Chinese population. Logistic regression models with generalized estimated equation (GEE) were utilized to evaluate the association between SGA twins and neonatal outcomes including neonatal unit admission, neonatal jaundice, neonatal respiratory distress (NRDS), neonatal asphyxia, ventilator support, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), culture-proven sepsis, neonatal death within 28 days after birth as well as the composite outcome. Results The incidence of SGA was 33.1 % based on the singleton reference and 7.3 % based on the twin reference. Both of SGA newborns defined by the singleton and twin references were associated with increases in neonatal unit admission, neonatal jaundice and ventilator support. In addition, SGA newborns defined by the twin reference were associated with increased rates of BPD (aOR, 2.61; 95 % CI: 1.18–5.78) as well as the severe composite outcome (aOR, 1.93; 95 % CI: 1.07–3.47). Conclusions The use of singleton birth weight percentiles may result in misdiagnosed SGA newborns in twin gestations and the twin birth weight percentiles would be more useful to identify those who are at risk of adverse outcomes.

Background Placenta previa, a serious obstetric issue, should be managed by experienced teams. The safe and appropriate mode of delivery for placenta previa is by cesarean delivery. However, no studies were found comparing either maternal or neonatal outcomes for different skin incision in women with placenta previa. The aim of this study was to compare maternal and neonatal outcomes by skin incision types (transverse compared with vertical) in a large cohort of women with placenta previa who were undergoing cesarean delivery. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study carried out between January 2014 and June 2019. All pregnant women with placenta previa had confirmed by ultrasonologist before delivery and obstetrician at delivery. The primary outcome was the estimated blood loss during the surgery and within the first 24 hours postoperatively. Mean (standard deviation), median (interquartile range) or frequency (percentage) was reported to variables. Appropriate parametric and nonparametric tests were used to analyses. Results The study included 1098 complete records, 332 (30.24%) cases in the vertical skin incision group and 766 (69.76%) cases in the transverse skin incision group. Those with vertical incision showed a higher percentage of preterm delivery, anterior placenta, abnormally invasive placenta, and history of previous cesarean delivery, and a lower percentage of first pregnancy, in vitro fertilization, and emergency cesarean delivery. After controlling for confounding factors, higher incidence of post-partum hemorrhage (OR 5.47, 95% CI 3.84–7.79), maternal intensive care unit (OR 4.30, 95% CI 2.86–6.45), transfusion (OR 5.97, 95% CI 4.15–8.58), and 5-min APGAR< 7 (OR 9.03, 95% CI 1.83–44.49), a more estimated blood loss (β 601.85, 95%CI 458.78–744.91), and a longer length of hospital stay after delivery (β 0.54, 95%CI 0.23–0.86) were found in the vertical skin incision group. Conclusions Our data demonstrated that transverse skin incision group showed the better perinatal outcomes in women with placenta previa. Future collaborative studies are needed to be done by centers for placenta previa to have a better understanding of the characteristics and the outcomes of the disease in the choosing skin incision.

Objective: To explore the prospective correlation between serum metals before 24 weeks’ gestation and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) or glucose in the late second trimester among southern Chinese pregnant women. Methods: A total of 8169 pregnant women were included in our retrospective cohort study. Logistic regression was used to investigate the relationships between metals (Manganese [Mn], copper [Cu], lead [Pb], calcium [Ca], zinc [Zn], magnesium [Mg]) and GDM. Quantile regression was performed to detect the shifts and associations with metals and three time-points glucose distribution of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) focused on the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression was used to explore the relationship of metal mixtures and GDM as well as glucose. Results: Maternal serum concentrations of metals were assessed at mean 16.55 ± 2.92 weeks’ gestation. Women with under weight might have 25% decreased risk of GDM for every 50% increase in Cu concentration within the safe limits. A 50% increase in Mn and Zn levels was related to a 0.051 μmol/L (95% CI: 0.033–0.070) and 0.059 μmol/L (95% CI: 0.040–0.079) increase in mean fasting plasma glucose of OGTT (OGTT0), respectively. The magnitude of association with Mn was smaller at the upper tail of OGTT0 distribution, while the magnitude of correlation with Zn was greater at the upper tail. However, there was a 0.012 mmol/L (95% CI: −0.017 to −0.008), 0.028 mmol/L (95% CI: −0.049 to −0.007), and 0.036 mmol/L (95% CI: −0.057 to −0.016) decrease in mean OGTT0 levels for every 50% increase in Pb, Ca, and Mg, respectively. The negative association of Pb, Ca, and Mg was greater at the lower tail of OGTT0 distribution. No significant relationship was observed in Cu and mean OGTT0 level (−0.010 mmol/L, 95% CI: −0.021 to 0.001), however, it showed a protective effect at the upper tail (−0.034 mmol/L, 95% CI: −0.049 to −0.017). No obvious correlation was found between metals and postprandial glucose levels (OGTT1 and OGTT2 from OGTT). The WQS index was significantly related to OGTT0 (P

No recommendations are available for gestational weight gain (GWG) in underweight women with twin pregnancies. We aimed to evaluate whether underweight women with twin pregnancies should gain more weight than normal-weight women in order to optimize perinatal outcomes.This retrospective cohort study compared the GWG and perinatal outcomes among normal-weight and underweight women who gave birth to viable twins between 2015 and 2018 at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Foshan, China. Gestational weight gain (GWG) was categorized as adequate or inadequate GWG, based on the US Institute of Medicine 2009 guidelines for normal-weight women (≥ 0.46 kg/week). The outcomes of interest included spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB)37 weeks,35 and32 weeks, small for gestational age (SGA), gestational hypertensive disorder (GHD), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), birth weight discordance (BDW) ≥20%, neonatal intensive unit (NICU) admission and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS). Propensity score matching (PSM, in a 1:1 ratio) was utilized to minimize the effects of confounders on the differences in the two cohorts. Multivariable logistic models were also used to verify the results from PSM analysis.There were 475 normal-weight and 111 underweight women included in the analysis. Our results suggested that the incidence of adequate GWG was comparable between underweight and normal-weight women (37.5% vs. 45.1%, P = 0.141). The prevalence of GDM was significantly lower among underweight women (9.9%) than among normal-weight women (20.4%) (P = 0.010). There was no evidence of differences in other perinatal outcomes between the two groups. 102 underweight women and 102 normal-weight women were included in PSM analyses. There was a lower incidence of GDM in underweight women than in normal-weight women, but the difference was not significant (9.8% vs. 18.6%, P = 0.071). No evidence of any differences in the other outcomes, including sPTB, GHD, BWD≥20%, SGA, NICU admission and NRDS, was found between the underweight and normal-weight women. Multivariable logistic regression models yielded similar results.For Chinese twin pregnant women with twin pregnancies, our data does provide evidence to suggest underweight women need to gain more weight than normal-weight women to optimize perinatal outcomes. Future studies with larger number of underweight women with twin gestations are warranted to establish an optimal range of GWG.

Objective: To explore the size and shape association of OGTT values with adverse pregnancy complications among women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Southern Han Chinese population and further analyze their mediating effects with maternal age in outcomes.Methods: 6,861 women with GDM were included in the study. Logistic regression was used to identify the correlations between OGTT values and adverse pregnancy outcomes of GDM. Restricted cubic spline nested logistic regression was conducted to investigate potential non-linear and linear associations. Mediating effect among maternal age, OGTT and adverse outcomes were explored.Results: Women with GDM had a mean age of 31.83, and 24.49% had advanced maternal age (≥35 years). In logistic regression with adjustment, compared with lower OGTT0 ( 0.05) were observed between OGTT0 and HDP, preterm, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, and macrosomia in both maternal age groups (

The miRNA processing genes play essential roles in the biosynthesis of mammalian miRNAs, and their genetic variants are involved in the development of various cancers. Our study aimed to determine the potential association between miRNA processing gene polymorphisms and cervical precancerous lesions. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including Ran-GTP (RAN) rs14035, exportin-5 (XPO5) rs11077, DICER1 rs3742330, DICER1 rs13078, and TARBP2 rs784567, were genotyped in a case–control study to estimate risk factors of cervical precancerous lesions. The gene–environment interactions and haplotype association were estimated. We identified a 27% decreased risk of cervical precancerous lesions for individuals with minor G allele in DICER1 rs3742330 (odds ratio (OR) = 0.73, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.58–0.92, P = 0.009). The AG and AG/GG genotypes in DICER1 rs3742330 were also found to decrease the risk of cervical precancerous lesions (AG compared with AA: OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.35–0.73, P