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Objective: Develop a core outcome set of international consensus definitions for severe maternal morbidities. Design: Electronic Delphi study. Setting: International. Population: Eight expert panels. Methods: All 13 high-income countries represented in the International Network of Obstetric Surveillance Systems (INOSS) nominated five experts per condition of morbidity, who submitted possible definitions. From these suggestions, a steering committee distilled critical components: eclampsia: 23, amniotic fluid embolism: 15, pregnancy-related hysterectomy: 11, severe primary postpartum haemorrhage: 19, uterine rupture: 20, abnormally invasive placentation: 12, spontaneous haemoperitoneum in pregnancy: 16, and cardiac arrest in pregnancy: 10. These components were assessed by the expert panel using a 5-point Likert scale, following which a framework for an encompassing definition was constructed. Possible definitions were evaluated in rounds until a rate of agreement of more than 70% was reached. Expert commentaries were used in each round to improve definitions. Main outcome measures: Definitions with a rate of agreement of more than 70%. Results: The invitation to participate in one or more of eight Delphi processes was accepted by 103 experts from 13 high-income countries. Consensus definitions were developed for all of the conditions. Conclusion: Consensus definitions for eight morbidity conditions were successfully developed using the Delphi process. These should be used in national registrations and international studies, and should be taken up by the Core Outcomes in Women's and Newborn Health initiative. Tweetable abstract: Consensus definitions for eight morbidity conditions were successfully developed using the Delphi process.

Background: Fish oil supplementation has been shown to delay spontaneous delivery, but the levels and clinical significance remain uncertain. We examined the association between plasma fatty acids quantified in pregnancy and subsequent risk of early preterm birth. Methods: In a case-control design nested in the Danish National Birth Cohort, we identified 376 early preterm cases (<34 gestational weeks, excluding preeclampsia cases) and 348 random controls. Plasma eicosapentaenoic acid plus docosahexaenoic acid (EPA+DHA% of total fatty acids), were measured twice in pregnancy, at gestation weeks 9 and 25 (medians). Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI's) for associations between EPA+DHA and early preterm risk were estimated by logistic regression, adjusted for the woman's age, height, pre-pregnancy BMI, parity, smoking, and socioeconomic factors. Hypotheses and analytical plan were defined and archived a priori. Findings: Analysis using restricted cubic splines of the mean of 1st and 2nd sample measurements showed a strong and significant non-linear association (p < 0.0001) in which the risk of early preterm birth steeply increased when EPA+DHA concentrations were lower than 2% and flattened out at higher levels. Women in the lowest quintile (EPA+DHA < 1.6%) had 10.27 times (95% confidence interval 6.80–15.79, p < 0.0001) increased risk, and women in the second lowest quintile had 2.86 (95% CI 1.79–4.59, p < 0.0001) times increased risk, when compared to women in the three aggregated highest quintiles (EPA+DHA ≥ 1.8%). Interpretation: Low plasma concentration of EPA and DHA during pregnancy is a strong risk factor for subsequent early preterm birth in Danish women.

Objective: The objective was to investigate prevalence, estimate risk factors, and antenatal suspicion of abnormally invasive placenta (AIP) associated with laparotomy in women in the Nordic countries. Design: Population-based cohort study. Setting and population: A 3-year Nordic collaboration among obstetricians to identify and report on uterine rupture, peripartum hysterectomy, excessive blood loss, and AIP from 2009 to 2012 The Nordic Obstetric Surveillance Study (NOSS). Methods: In the NOSS study, clinicians reported AIP cases from maternity wards and the data were validated against National health registries. Main outcome measures: Prevalence, risk factors, antenatal suspicion, birth complications, and risk estimations using aggregated national data. Results: A total of 205 cases of AIP in association with laparotomy were identified, representing 3.4 per 10 000 deliveries. The single most important risk factor, which was reported in 49% of all cases of AIP, was placenta praevia. The risk of AIP increased seven-fold after one prior caesarean section (CS) to 56-fold after three or more CS. Prior postpartum haemorrhage was associated with six-fold increased risk of AIP (95% confidence interval 3.7–10.9). Approximately 70% of all cases were not diagnosed antepartum. Of these, 39% had prior CS and 33% had placenta praevia. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that a lower CS rate in the population may be the most effective way to lower the incidence of AIP. Focused ultrasound assessment of women at high risk will likely strengthen antenatal suspicion. Prior PPH is a novel risk factor associated with an increased prevalence of AIP. Tweetable abstract: An ultrasound assessment in women with placenta praevia or prior CS may double the awareness for AIP.

BACKGROUND: In early postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), a low concentration of fibrinogen is associated with excessive subsequent bleeding and blood transfusion. We hypothesized that pre-emptive treatment with fibrinogen concentrate reduces the need for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in patients with PPH.METHODS: In this investigator-initiated, multicentre, double-blinded, parallel randomized controlled trial, we assigned subjects with severe PPH to a single dose of fibrinogen concentrate or placebo (saline). A dose of 2 g or equivalent was given to all subjects independent of body weight and the fibrinogen concentration at inclusion. The primary outcome was RBC transfusion up to 6 weeks postpartum. Secondary outcomes were total blood loss, total amount of blood transfused, occurrence of rebleeding, haemoglobin <58 g litre(-1), RBC transfusion within 4 h, 24 h, and 7 days, and as a composite outcome of 'severe PPH', defined as a decrease in haemoglobin of >40 g litre(-1), transfusion of at least 4 units of RBCs, haemostatic intervention (angiographic embolization, surgical arterial ligation, or hysterectomy), or maternal death.RESULTS: Of the 249 randomized subjects, 123 of 124 in the fibrinogen group and 121 of 125 in the placebo group were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. At inclusion the subjects had severe PPH, with a mean blood loss of 1459 (sd 476) ml and a mean fibrinogen concentration of 4.5 (sd 1.2) g litre(-1). The intervention group received a mean dose of 26 mg kg(-1) fibrinogen concentrate, thereby significantly increasing fibrinogen concentration compared with placebo by 0.40 g litre(-1) (95% confidence interval, 0.15-0.65; P=0.002). Postpartum blood transfusion occurred in 25 (20%) of the fibrinogen group and 26 (22%) of the placebo group (relative risk, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.58-1.54; P=0.88). We found no difference in any predefined secondary outcomes, per-protocol analyses, or adjusted analyses. No thromboe

Women with pre-term pre-labour rupture of membranes (PPROM) 22-33 weeks gestation were included in a retrospective cohort study with a structured audit to identify risk factors of major complications following PPROM and to assess whether these complications are predictable. Of the 234 women analysed, 106 (45%) delivered within three days. Eighty-four women (36%) had at least one major complication and 45% of these complications occurred within three days. The complication rate was 64% in early PPROM before 28 weeks gestation and 11% in late PPROM at 28 weeks gestation or later. Nulliparous women had an increased risk of major complications (adjusted hazards ratio: 3.07 (95% confidence interval: 1.28-7.37)). The complication rates were highest in early PPROM and during the first three days after PPROM.Multiparous women with late PPROM, who do not deliver within the first three days, have the lowest risk of major complications and are suitable for home care.