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Background: It is generally assumed that marijuana is one of the more widely used controlled substances during pregnancy. However, there remains a general paucity of population-based data regarding its use and subsequent perinatal morbidity. We hypothesized that direct patient query during pregnancy regarding marijuana, tobacco, and nicotine use would provide crucial initial population-based data on perinatal risk., Objective: Our study sought to examine maternal and neonatal outcomes in pregnancies with reported marijuana exposure, in isolation or in combination with maternal cigarette smoking., Study Design: We applied a retrospective cohort study design to subjects (n = 12,069) with available information on marijuana use and pregnancy outcomes. Since 2011, we have routinely and directly questioned all gravidae regarding use of marijuana, tobacco, and nicotine-containing products. We examined perinatal outcomes in marijuana smokers vs nonsmokers, as well as patients reporting both marijuana and cigarette smoking. Multivariate analysis enabled determination of adjusted odds ratios for maternal and fetal outcomes, adjusting for confounders. Significance was determined with Mann-Whitney U, χ(2), and Fischer exact tests (as appropriate)., Results: In all, 106/12,069 reported marijuana use (0.88%), with 48/12,069 (0.4%; or 48/106, 45%) concurrently using cigarettes and marijuana. After controlling for potential confounding variables, while marijuana use alone was not associated with significant adverse outcomes, use in combination with cigarette smoking was significantly associated with increased risk of multiple adverse perinatal outcomes (increased occurrence of maternal asthma [adjusted odds ratio, 2.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-5.9]; preterm birth [adjusted odds ratio, 2.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-4.9]; decreased [<25th percentile] head circumference [adjusted odds ratio, 2.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-4.3]; and decreased [<25th percentile] birthweight [adjusted odds ratio, 2.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.6-5.0]). Maternal pregnancy-related hypertension was not increased in marijuana smokers (adjusted odds ratio, 1.30; 95% confidence interval, 0.681-2.498), or in cigarette smokers (adjusted odds ratio, 1.4; 95%, confidence interval, 0.9-1.9). However, co-users had elevated rates of preeclampsia compared to nonusers (adjusted odds ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-5.0)., Conclusion: In our initial cohort analysis, after controlling for potential confounders, while marijuana exposure alone was not associated with significant perinatal adverse outcomes, co-use with cigarette smoking rendered increased risk over either alone. Due to observed prevalence of concurrent cigarette and marijuana use, it is of likely importance to counsel patients regarding use in pregnancy., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Obesity is associated with alterations in thyroid hormone (TH) levels in obese, pregnant individuals. The maintenance of TH levels throughout gestation is important for proper foetal development. The aim of this study was to measure levels of fT3, fT4 and TSH in maternal and matched cord blood serum from normal weight, overweight and obese gravidae to determine alterations in maternal and neonatal TH levels by virtue of maternal obesity., Design, Setting, Subjects, Outcome Measures: ELISA was utilized to measure fT3, fT4 and TSH levels from banked, matched maternal and neonatal (cord blood) serum (N = 205 matched pairs). Data were stratified according to prepregnancy or first trimester BMI., Results: Both maternal and neonatal fT3 levels consistently increased with increasing maternal obesity, and maternal and neonatal fT3 were significantly correlated (r = 0·422, P < 0·001). Maternal and neonatal fT3 were also significantly associated with birthweight (β = 0·155, P = 0·027 and β = 0·171, P = 0·018, respectively). Both the maternal and neonatal fT3 to fT4 ratio significantly increased with increasing maternal obesity. We further found that excess gestational weight gain was associated with a decrease in maternal fT4 compared with gravidae who had insufficient gestational weight gain (0·86 ± 0·17 vs 0·95 ± 0·22, P < 0·01)., Conclusion: Maternal obesity is not only associated with maternal alterations in TH, but with accompanying neonatal changes. Because both maternal obesity and alterations in TH levels are associated with childhood obesity, based on these findings and our prior analyses in a nonhuman primate model, we propose that changes in fT3 levels in the offspring of obese mothers may be a potential molecular mediator of foetal overgrowth and childhood obesity., (© 2015 The Authors. Clinical Endocrinology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Open fetal myelomeningocele (fMMC) repair is nowadays a therapeutic option in selected cases. We aimed to evaluate changes in maternal and fetal outcome after fMMC repair during the first 8 years of experience at a tertiary referral fetal medicine center in Switzerland. -Materials and Methods: Between 2010 and 2018, fMMC repair and delivery of the neonate via planned cesarean section was performed in 67 cases. Cases were retrospectively stratified into 2 groups: a "training phase" (TP) with supervision from an external surgeon during 11 operations (2010-2014, 15 cases) followed by an "experienced phase" (EP, 2014-2018, 52 cases); each phase lasted about 4 years. Both phases were compared with regard to various maternal and fetal outcome parameters.Results: Analyses did not reveal differences between TP and EP in major outcome parameters such as gestational age at delivery, chorionic membrane separation, or the incidence of placental abruption. Although more complex surgical techniques were applied in EP (e.g., dermal closure using a rotational flap), surgery time was not different from TP. At the same time, surgical complications such as oligohydramnios (27 vs. 8%, p = 0.046) with MRI-confirmed leakage (13 vs. 4%, nonsignificant) and subchorionic hematoma (20 vs. 2%, p = 0.009) were less common in EP than TP.Conclusions: This study shows that the level of competence at our center with regard to major perinatal outcome parameters was already high in the first years of fMMC repair. However, more complex surgical techniques and significantly less minor complications were observed during the most recent years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Reliable real-time estimation of blood loss is crucial for the prompt management of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), which is one of the major obstetric complications worldwide. Our study aims at the validation of feasibility and precision of measured blood loss (MBL) with a quantitative real-time measurement system during (1) vaginal delivery and (2) cesarean section by comparison with a hemoglobin-based formula for blood loss as an objective control. This is the first study to include a reasonable number of patients in an everyday clinical setting.Methods: 921 patients were prospectively enrolled into this study (vaginal delivery: n = 461, cesarean delivery: n = 460) at a tertiary care hospital in Switzerland. Blood loss was measured by quantitative fluid collection bags. "Calculated blood loss" (CBL) was determined by modified Brecher`s formula based on the drop of hemoglobin after delivery. MBL based on our measurement system was compared to CBL by correlation analysis and stratified by the mode of delivery.Results: During vaginal delivery, MBL as determined by our quantitative measurement system highly correlated with CBL (p < 0.001, r = 0.683). This was also true for patients with cesarean deliveries (p < 0.001, r = 0.402), however, in a less linear amount. In women with cesarean deliveries, objectively low blood loss tended to be rather overestimated, while objectively high blood loss was more likely underestimated.Conclusions: The technique of real-time measurement of postpartum blood loss after vaginal delivery as presented in this study is practicable, reliable and strongly correlated with the actual blood loss and, therefore, poses an actual improvement in the management of PPH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of most common complications of pregnancy, with incidence rates varying by maternal age, race/ethnicity, obesity, parity, and family history. Given its increasing prevalence in recent decades, covariant environmental and sociodemographic factors may be additional determinants of GDM occurrence.Objective: We hypothesized that environmental risk factors, in particular measures of the food environment, may be a diabetes contributor. We employed geospatial modeling in a populous US county to characterize the association of the relative availability of fast food restaurants and supermarkets to GDM.Study Design: Utilizing a perinatal database with >4900 encoded antenatal and outcome variables inclusive of ZIP code data, 8912 consecutive pregnancies were analyzed for correlations between GDM and food environment based on countywide food permit registration data. Linkage between pregnancies and food environment was achieved on the basis of validated 5-digit ZIP code data. The prevalence of supermarkets and fast food restaurants per 100,000 inhabitants for each ZIP code were gathered from publicly available food permit sources. To independently authenticate our findings with objective data, we measured hemoglobin A1c levels as a function of geospatial distribution of food environment in a matched subset (n = 80).Results: Residence in neighborhoods with a high prevalence of fast food restaurants (fourth quartile) was significantly associated with an increased risk of developing GDM (relative to first quartile: adjusted odds ratio, 1.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.21-2.19). In multivariate analysis, this association held true after controlling for potential confounders (P = .002). Measurement of hemoglobin A1c levels in a matched subset were significantly increased in association with residence in a ZIP code with a higher fast food/supermarket ratio (n = 80, r = 0.251 P < .05).Conclusion: As demonstrated by geospatial analysis, a relationship of food environment and risk for gestational diabetes was identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]