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Objective:To determine if postponement of delivery to administer fetal lung maturation corticosteroids (PDACs) in mothers with antepartum eclampsia <34 weeks gestation benefits the fetus without compromising the mother.Study Design:A case series of 37 maternal-perinatal pairs over a 9-year period with antepartum eclampsia between 24 and 34 weeks gestation from a single tertiary center were reviewed retrospectively. Duration of PDAC, clinical course and maternal-fetal outcomes, including impact of duration of PDAC on neonatal pulmonary function, were recorded for each case. Group assignment was based on length of corticosteroid treatment course before delivery: Group A, 0 to 24 h, n=28; B, 24 to <48 h, n=5; C, 48 h, n=4. Data were collected and analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), ANOVA on ranks, χ2-test and Fisher's exact tests where appropriate; statistical significance was determined by a P-value <0.05.Result:Overall, 37 of 68 eclampsia patients in 1999 to 2007 met inclusion criteria. No adverse maternal or fetal event occurred while delivery was postponed. Immediate neonatal intubation or continuous positive airway pressure was required for 23/28 in A, 4/5 in B and 2/4 in C; room air was sufficient at birth for 5/28 in A, 1/5 in B and 2/4 in C. No newborn >33 weeks gestation required INI. Prolonged (that is, >1 day) mechanical ventilation was not required for any infant with a gestational age 32 weeks or PDAC 48 h. Two of three neonatal deaths in group A were attributed to pulmonary insufficiency.Conclusion:PDAC for antepartum preterm eclampsia, especially 32 weeks gestation, appears to offer notable fetal pulmonary benefit without significantly increasing maternal or fetal risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, is one of the most important vectors of tick-borne disease agents in North America. Accordingly, it is crucial to know this species local composition, abundance, and seasonality (phenology) to help prevent tick-borne illnesses. The phenology of adult I. scapularis is reported in the scientific literature from October through May. Data from previous research in Mississippi have all supported this time frame for adult blacklegged tick activity. However, in this study, we report a collection of 13 I. scapularis from 9 widely separated areas in Mississippi during the summer and early fall of 2022 (June, July, and September). These findings are remarkable, even enigmatic, and should prompt further investigation., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)