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BACKGROUND: Alcohol abuse during pregnancy compromises fetal development not only directly but also by abnormal placental function. Therefore, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and placenta growth factor (PlGF), expressed in the placenta, may play a role in alcohol-induced placental dysfunction. METHODS: Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from 40 pregnant alcohol-abusing women and 42 abstinent pregnant women from gestational weeks 4 to 41. Plasma HGF and serum PlGF were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and serum EGF by an immunofluorometric assay. RESULTS: Plasma HGF concentrations were similar in alcohol-abusing and abstinent mothers, although in the latter women these concentrations increased with advancing pregnancy. Serum EGF concentrations were consistently higher in alcohol-abusing than in abstinent mothers. In the latter, these concentrations decreased with advancing pregnancy. Serum PlGF concentrations increased with advancing pregnancy in both groups and were higher in alcohol-abusing mothers during the second and third trimesters but not during the first. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol abuse during pregnancy is associated with changes in maternal circulating EGF and PlGF but not HGF concentrations. The observed changes may be caused by alcohol per se or may be secondary to possible alcohol-induced changes in placental physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the effectiveness of vaginal term breech delivery. Eligibility requirements for women participants; Recommendation of an elective cesarean section as mode of delivery for term breech fetuses; Methods that can help assure the safety of term vaginal birth.

Background: To examine the extent to which personality characteristics, depression, fear and anxiety about pregnancy and delivery, and socio-economic background, predict disappointment with delivery and the risk of puerperal depression.Methods: Two hundred and eleven women filled in questionnaires measuring personality traits, socio-economic factors, and marital satisfaction once before and once after the 30th week of pregnancy, and 2 3 months after delivery, when obstetric data about pregnancy and delivery was also collected.Results: The women who were disappointed with their delivery or suffered from puerperal depression had been more depressed already in early pregnancy. Regression analysis showed that the strongest predictors of disappointment with delivery were labor pain (increase in R2 = 0.14, p<0.001) and emergency Cesarean (increase in R2 = 0.18, p<0.001). Puerperal depression was predicted by depression (increase in R2 = 0.16, p<0.001), and by personal traits such as general anxiety, vulnerability and neuroticism (increase in R2 = 0.32, p<0.001), both before 30 weeks of pregnancy and prior to the delivery (for depression increase in R2 = 0.05, p<0.001, and for anxiety and vulnerability increase in R2 = 0.04, p<0.01). The strongest predictors were depression at both time points before delivery (beta = 0.51, p<0.001, and beta = 0.39, p<0.001). Pregnancy- and delivery-related anxiety prior to the delivery also predicted puerperal depression, but complications of the pregnancy and delivery did not.Conclusions: Depression in early pregnancy predicts disappointment with the delivery and is a strong predictor of puerperal depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and placenta growth factor (PlGF) concentrations and their possible binders, serum from 22 non-pregnant and 55 pregnant women (15 at weeks 10-13; 40 at term), umbilical vein (n = 24) and artery (n = 13) and amniotic fluid (a pool of 50 at weeks 15-17; 11 at term) were assessed for VEGF and PlGF by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In amniotic fluid and maternal serum VEGF concentrations were <16 ng/ml and added VEGF was not recovered. VEGF was detected in serum from mothers post-partum (137 +/- 142 ng/l, mean +/- SD), umbilical artery (421 +/- 288 ng/l) and vein (502 +/- 339 ng/l) and non-pregnant controls (182 +/- 147 ng/l), and added VEGF was fully recovered. PlGF was detected in pregnancy serum (52 +/- 23 ng/l early pregnancy; 439 +/- 217 ng/l term pregnancy) and in amniotic fluid (early pregnancy 56 ng/l; term pregnancy 30 +/- 18 ng/l). PlGF was fully recovered in all samples. Gel filtration and isoelectric focusing revealed that in maternal serum and amniotic fluid [125I]VEGF was bound to a protein with an Mr of 400-700 kDa and an isoelectric point of approximately 8. This protein was not identical with alpha-2-macroglobulin (by an immunofluorometric assay), pregnancy zone protein or pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (by immunodiffusion). In conclusion, VEGF-binding activity is present in amniotic fluid and maternal blood. It disappears after delivery and is not detectable in fetal or non-pregnant serum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We studied whether transdermal nitroglycerin, a donor of nitric oxide, affects uterine, umbilical, and fetal cerebral blood flow in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and impaired uteroplacental blood flow.Study Design: Seventeen patients with preeclampsia were treated with a nitroglycerin patch, 10 mg per 24 hours, for three consecutive days between 28 and 36 weeks' gestation. The uterine, umbilical, and fetal middle cerebral artery pulsatility index and resistance index were assessed by color Doppler ultrasonography before the start of treatment, daily during treatment, and on the first 2 days after the removal of the last patch.Results: The nitroglycerin patch caused a significant fall in the mean uterine pulsatility index and resistance index that reached its maximum (18% +/- 4% and 17% +/- 3%, respectively, from baseline) on the last treatment day. After the removal of the last patch, uterine pulsatility index and resistance index rose to the pretreatment value within 12 hours. No significant changes in umbilical or middle cerebral artery pulsatility index and resistance index were observed during treatment. Maternal mean arterial pressure fell from 122 +/- 8 to 117 +/- 7 mm Hg (P = .05).Conclusion: Transdermal administration of nitroglycerin may offer a potential for treatment for patients with preeclampsia who have increased uteroplacental impedance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: A register-based retrospective case-control study to investigate the long-term morbidity, mortality, and welfare among women with alcohol and/or substance misuse identified during pregnancy. METHODS: Cohort of 524 women followed-up ante- and perinatally 1992-2001 at special out-patient clinics of maternity hospitals in the capital area of Finland. The control group of 1792 women with no evidence of alcohol or substance misuse was matched for maternal age, parity, date of birth and hospital of index delivery. Both groups were followed-up until end of 2007. RESULTS: 7.9% (42/524) of the cases and 0.2% (4/1792) of the controls had died by the end of the median follow-up of 9 years (OR 38, 95% CI 14-108). The cases displayed significant morbidity requiring in-patient care in the areas of mental disorders (AOR 8.8, 95% CI 6.5-11.9), viral (AOR 23.5, 95% CI 8.8-62.7) and bacterial (AOR 6.1, 95% CI 3.5-10.4) infections, skin diseases (AOR 3.9, 95% CI 2.0-7.8) and injury and poisoning (AOR 4.2, 95% CI 3.1-5.6). The cases displayed more out-patient visits (OR 2.7, 95% CI 2.7-2.8). Their mean length of hospital stay was longer compared to controls (10.3 vs. 4.4 days, p<0.001). The risk of pension granted due to a disorder, disease or disability (OR 8.8, 95% CI 6.0-13.0) and the risk for minimum unemployment benefit were higher compared to controls (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.8-2.5). CONCLUSIONS: These women display significant long-term morbidity, mortality and loss of productivity after delivery. The results emphasize the importance of adequate postnatal follow-up and treatment for misuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]