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Objective: To investigate the association of chorioamnionitis and its duration with adverse maternal outcomes by mode of delivery.Design: A retrospective cohort study.Setting: Data from the Consortium on Safe Labor Study in the USA (2002-2008).Population: Singleton deliveries at ≥23 weeks of gestation (221 274 assessed deliveries, 62 331 by caesarean section).Methods: The association of chorioamnionitis, and secondarily the duration of chorioamnionitis estimated from intrapartum antibiotic use, with adverse maternal outcomes was analysed using logistic regression with generalised estimating equations, adjusting for age, parity, race, pregestational diabetes, chronic hypertension, gestational age at delivery, study site and delivery year. Analyses were stratified by vaginal versus caesarean delivery.Main Outcome Measures: The composite adverse maternal outcome included: postpartum transfusion, endometritis, wound/perineal infection/separation, venous thromboembolism, hysterectomy, admission to intensive care unit and/or death.Results: Chorioamnionitis was associated with higher odds of the composite adverse maternal outcome with caesarean delivery (adjusted odds ratio 2.31; 95% CI 1.97-2.71); and the association persisted regardless of whether a woman had a trial of labour, preterm delivery or maternal group B streptococcus colonisation. The most common adverse outcomes after caesarean section were postpartum transfusion (56.0%) and wound/perineal infection or endometritis (38.6%). Chorioamnionitis was not associated with adverse maternal outcomes after vaginal delivery. The duration of chorioamnionitis as the exposure did not alter the association between chorioamnionitis and adverse maternal outcomes.Conclusions: Chorioamnionitis, but not the estimated duration, was associated with increased odds of adverse maternal outcomes with caesarean delivery. This finding has implications for care programmes to prevent maternal morbidity after a caesarean section complicated by chorioamnionitis.Tweetable Abstract: Chorioamnionitis, but not its duration, increases the risk of adverse maternal outcomes with caesarean delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was undertaken to develop a multivariable clinical predictive rule for severe preeclampsia using second-trimester clinical factors and biochemical markers.Study Design: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all pregnant patients with single gestations from 1995 through 1997 for whom we had complete follow-up data. Through medical record review we determined whether patients had severe preeclampsia develop according to American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists criteria. Case patients with severe preeclampsia were compared with control subjects with respect to clinical data and multiple-marker screening test results. With potential predictive factors identified in the bivariate and stratified analyses both an explanatory logistic regression model and a clinical prediction rule were created. Patients were assigned a predictive score according to the presence or absence of predictive factors, and receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine the optimal score cutoff point for prediction of severe preeclampsia with maximal sensitivity.Results: Among the 1998 patients we found 49 patients with severe preeclampsia (prevalence, 2.5%). After we controlled for confounding variables, case patients and control subjects had similar human chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-fetoprotein levels, and the only variables that remained significantly associated with severe preeclampsia were nulliparity (relative risk, 3.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.7-8.3), history of preeclampsia (relative risk, 5.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.7-17.2), elevated screening mean arterial pressure (relative risk, 3.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.7-7.2), and low unconjugated estriol concentration (relative risk, 1.7; 95% confidence interval, 0.9-3.4). Our predictive model for severe preeclampsia, which included only these 4 variables, had a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 46%.Conclusion: Even after incorporation of the strongest risk factors, our predictive model had only modest sensitivity and specificity for discrimination of patients at risk for development of severe preeclampsia. The addition of the human chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-fetoprotein biochemical markers did not enhance the model's predictive value for severe preeclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess whether individual clinical factors or combinations thereof could be used to accurately predict the risk of delivery within 1 week of admission among women with preterm labor and minimal cervical dilatation.Study Design: We performed a case-control study of patients admitted to our institution with preterm labor and minimal cervical dilatation. A case patient was a patient who sought treatment with uterine contractions between 24 and 34 weeks' gestation with cervical dilatation 70 potential predictors was recorded. Statistical analysis consisted of bivariate and multivariable methods. We also generated a multivariable clinical predictive model with the purpose of detecting a proportion as high as possible of those destined to be delivered within 1 week (high sensitivity). We estimated that we would need 50 case patients and 150 control subjects to detect an odds ratio of 2.5 for risk factors with a prevalence of 20%, an alpha error of.05, a beta error of.20, and a control subject/case patient ratio of 3:1.Results: Three variables were eligible for inclusion in our logistic models according to the bivariate analyses-bleeding on admission, substance abuse, and admission white blood cell count >/=14,000 cells/microL. The simplest and most favorable model included only 2 variables, bleeding and substance abuse, and yielded a sensitivity of 46% and a specificity of 76%. The full 3-variable model had similar test characteristics. For no model were we able to achieve a sensitivity >/=50%.Conclusion: The results of this case-control study suggest that combinations of clinical factors do not yield an adequate level of discrimination to be used alone for predicting the likelihood of delivery within 1 week among patients with minimal degrees of cervical dilatation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the roundtable that follows, clinicians discuss a study published in this issue of the Journal in light of its methodology, relevance to practice, and implications for future research. Article discussed: Lin CJ, Lai H-C, Wang KH, et al. Testing for methylated PCDH10 or WT1 is superior to the HPV test in detecting severe neoplasms (CIN3 or greater) in the triage of ASC-US smear results. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2011;204:21.e1-7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the association of chorioamnionitis and its duration with adverse maternal outcomes by mode of delivery., Design: A retrospective cohort study., Setting: Data from the Consortium on Safe Labor Study in the USA (2002-2008)., Population: Singleton deliveries at ≥23 weeks of gestation (221 274 assessed deliveries, 62 331 by caesarean section)., Methods: The association of chorioamnionitis, and secondarily the duration of chorioamnionitis estimated from intrapartum antibiotic use, with adverse maternal outcomes was analysed using logistic regression with generalised estimating equations, adjusting for age, parity, race, pregestational diabetes, chronic hypertension, gestational age at delivery, study site and delivery year. Analyses were stratified by vaginal versus caesarean delivery., Main Outcome Measures: The composite adverse maternal outcome included: postpartum transfusion, endometritis, wound/perineal infection/separation, venous thromboembolism, hysterectomy, admission to intensive care unit and/or death., Results: Chorioamnionitis was associated with higher odds of the composite adverse maternal outcome with caesarean delivery (adjusted odds ratio 2.31; 95% CI 1.97-2.71); and the association persisted regardless of whether a woman had a trial of labour, preterm delivery or maternal group B streptococcus colonisation. The most common adverse outcomes after caesarean section were postpartum transfusion (56.0%) and wound/perineal infection or endometritis (38.6%). Chorioamnionitis was not associated with adverse maternal outcomes after vaginal delivery. The duration of chorioamnionitis as the exposure did not alter the association between chorioamnionitis and adverse maternal outcomes., Conclusions: Chorioamnionitis, but not the estimated duration, was associated with increased odds of adverse maternal outcomes with caesarean delivery. This finding has implications for care programmes to prevent maternal morbidity after a caesarean section complicated by chorioamnionitis., Tweetable Abstract: Chorioamnionitis, but not its duration, increases the risk of adverse maternal outcomes with caesarean delivery., (© 2019 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.)

Objective To estimate the association between the severity of idiopathic polyhydramnios and adverse outcomes. Study Design Retrospective cohort study of deliveries at one hospital from 2000 to 2012 with an amniotic fluid index (AFI) measurement ≥24 + 0 weeks' gestation. Pregnancies complicated by diabetes, multiples, or fetal anomalies were excluded. Exposure was the degree of polyhydramnios: normal (AFI 5-24 cm), mild (≥ 24-30 cm), and moderate-severe (> 30 cm). Primary outcomes were perinatal mortality, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, and postpartum hemorrhage. Results There were 10,536 pregnancies: 10,188 with a normal AFI, 274 mild (78.74%), and 74 moderate-severe polyhydramnios (21.26%). Adverse outcomes were increased with idiopathic polyhydramnios: NICU admission (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.77-4.99), postpartum hemorrhage (AOR 15.81, 95% CI 7.82-31.96), macrosomia (AOR 3.41, 95% CI 2.61-4.47), low 5-minute Apgar score (AOR 2.60, 95% CI 1.57-4.30), and cesarean (AOR 2.16, 95% CI 1.74-2.69). There were increasing odds of macrosomia (mild: AOR 3.19, 95% CI 2.36-4.32; moderate-severe: AOR 4.44, 95% CI 2.53-7.79) and low 5-minute Apgar score (mild: AOR 2.24, 95% CI 1.23-4.08; moderate-severe: AOR 3.93, 95% CI 1.62-9.55) with increasing severity of polyhydramnios. Conclusion Idiopathic polyhydramnios is independently associated with increased risks of morbidity. There appears to be a dose-response relationship for neonatal macrosomia and low 5-minute Apgar score risks., (Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.)

Objective: Given the association between risk of cerebral palsy and children born to obese women, the study aim was to estimate whether maternal obesity is associated with reduced effectiveness of conventional antenatal magnesium sulfate dosing for the prevention of cerebral palsy and death., Study Design: This is a secondary cohort analysis of a multicenter randomized clinical trial completed by the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network. Women were included in the original trial if deemed high risk for preterm delivery in the subsequent 24 hours. The present study included singleton, nonanomalous fetuses that were randomized to and received magnesium sulfate with complete data available. Outcomes between obese (body mass index ≥30 kg/m(2)) and nonobese women were compared. A secondary analysis of outcomes between morbidly obese (body mass index ≥40 kg/m(2)) and nonmorbidly obese women was performed. The primary outcome was a composite of cerebral palsy or perinatal death before 15 months corrected age. Secondary outcomes included moderate to severe cerebral palsy or death, any cerebral palsy, moderate to severe cerebral palsy, and death. A logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio of each outcome. Based on sample size, exposure rate (obesity) and an outcome rate of 10%, assuming an 80% power and a 0.05 alpha error, this study had sufficient power to detect a 2-fold increase in the primary outcome., Results: Of 1188 women randomized to receive magnesium sulfate, 806 were included in this analysis. After adjusting for gestational age at delivery, maternal obesity was not associated with an increased risk of cerebral palsy or death in children born to women who received magnesium sulfate. Women with morbid obesity had higher rates of the primary outcome and cerebral palsy in an unadjusted analysis but did not have increased risks after adjusting for gestational age at delivery. In analyses stratified on gestational age, morbidly obese women who delivered after 28 weeks had increased risks of children with cerebral palsy or death and cerebral palsy, although case numbers were small., Conclusion: Among women receiving antenatal neuroprotective magnesium sulfate, maternal obesity is not associated with an increased risk of having a child with cerebral palsy or death., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether superimposed preeclampsia results in worse perinatal outcomes than preeclampsia., Study Design: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using our perinatal database (1990-2008). Perinatal outcomes among women with chronic hypertension (n = 1032), superimposed preeclampsia (n = 489), and preeclampsia (n = 4217) were compared with outcomes of control subjects (n = 57,103). Outcomes among women with superimposed preeclampsia were also compared with outcomes of women with preeclampsia. Multivariable analysis was used to control for confounders., Results: Rates of small-for-gestational age, abruption, stillbirth, and eclampsia were not significantly different with superimposed preeclampsia compared with preeclampsia. Delivery at <34 weeks' gestation (17.3% vs 8.7%; P < .001), cesarean delivery (46.2% vs 36.3%; P < .001), and neonatal intensive care unit admission (16.3% vs 11.4%; P < .002) were significantly higher among women with superimposed preeclampsia. These risks persisted after we controlled for confounders., Conclusion: Women with superimposed preeclampsia have higher risks of intervention-related events compared with those with preeclampsia., (Copyright © 2011. Published by Mosby, Inc.)

Objective: To estimate the comparative efficiency of first-trimester fetal growth restriction, second-trimester fetal growth restriction, and first-to-second-trimester growth lag for predicting adverse perinatal outcomes., Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of pregnancies with reliable dating based on last menstrual periods and first-trimester ultrasound examinations. Pregnancies with multiple fetuses, aneuploidy, and major structural anomalies were excluded. Fetal crown-rump lengths at 10-14 weeks, estimated fetal weights based on fetal biometry at 18-22 weeks, and interval growth were measured and converted to gestational age-adjusted Z-scores. The primary outcome was small for gestational age (SGA) at delivery. Secondary outcomes were low birth weight, preterm delivery, stillbirth, and preeclampsia. Receiver-operating characteristics curves were used to identify the optimal definitions of early fetal growth restriction associated with SGA and to compare screening efficiencies. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for confounders., Results: Among 8,978 pregnancies meeting inclusion criteria, 551 (6.5%) neonates were SGA. Crown-rump length Z-score less than -1.0, estimated fetal weights Z-score less than -1.0, and growth Z-score less than -1.0 were identified as the optimal definitions of early fetal growth restriction associated with SGA (adjusted odds ratio 1.41 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13-1.74], 3.44 [95% CI 2.85-4.15] and 2.61 [95% CI 2.09-3.25], respectively). The sensitivity and specificity of first- and second-trimester fetal growth restriction for predicting SGA were 21.4% and 83.4%, and 37.2% and 85.5%, respectively. The area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve for second-trimester fetal growth restriction was greater than that for first-trimester fetal growth restriction and first-to-second-trimester growth lag (0.70 compared with 0.59 and 0.66, P<.001)., Conclusion: Second-trimester fetal growth restriction is superior to first-trimester fetal growth restriction and first-to-second-trimester growth lag for predicting SGA.

Attempting vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC) places women at an increased risk for complications. We set out to identify factors that are predictive of major morbidity in women who attempt VBAC. A nested case-control study was performed within a large retrospective cohort study of women with a history of at least one cesarean. Women who attempted VBAC were identified and those who experienced at least one complication of a composite adverse outcome consisting of uterine rupture, bladder injury, and bowel injury (cases) were compared with those who did not experience one of these adverse outcomes (controls). We analyzed risk factors for major maternal morbidity using univariable and multivariable methods. The accuracy of the multivariable prediction model was assessed with receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Of 25,005 women with a history of previous cesarean, 13,706 (54.9%) attempted VBAC. The composite outcome occurred in 300 (2.1%) women attempting VBAC. Using logistic regression analysis, prior abdominal surgery (odds ratio [OR] 1.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2 to 2.1), augmented labor (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.29 to 2.46), and induction of labor (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.48 to 2.76) were associated with an increased risk of the composite outcome. Prior vaginal delivery (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.54) was associated with decreased risk for the composite outcome. The ROC curve generated from the regression model has an area under the curve of 0.65 and an unfavorable tradeoff between sensitivity and specificity. Women attempting VBAC with a history of abdominal surgery or those who undergo augmentation or induction of labor are at an increased risk for major maternal morbidity, and women with a prior vaginal delivery have a decreased risk of major morbidity. The multivariable model developed cannot accurately predict major maternal morbidity., (© Thieme Medical Publishers.)

Objective: Estimation of fetal weight is particularly challenging in fetuses with abdominal wall defects (AWDs). We sought to compare the accuracy and screening efficiency for intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) of 2 recent sonographic formulas to those of the Hadlock formula (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1985; 151:333-337) in fetuses with AWDs., Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of fetuses with AWDs. Fetuses with sonographically estimated fetal weights (EFWs) within 14 days before delivery were included. Using the individual biometric measurements, EFWs were calculated using the Honarvar (Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2001; 73:15-20; femur length [FL]), Siemer (Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2008; 31:397-400; FL, biparietal diameter [BPD], and occipitofrontal diameter), and Hadlock (BPD, head circumference, abdominal circumference, and FL) formulas. The calculated EFWs were adjusted for interval growth between the dates of sonography and delivery using published sonographic fetal growth velocity standards. Accuracy and screening efficiency for IUGR were compared., Results: Seventy-six fetuses were included: 53 with gastroschisis and 23 with omphalocele. The median gestational age at delivery was 36.6 weeks (range, 25.0 to 39.0 weeks). The Siemer formula had the lowest mean percentage error (-2.5% [95% confidence interval (CI), -6.2% to +1.2%]) without systematic bias (P = .182). The Hadlock formula had the highest precision (random error, 11.4%), sensitivity (91%), and accuracy for predicting IUGR (85% [95% CI, 77% to 94%])., Conclusions: None of the 3 sonographic formulas is ideal for estimating fetal weight in fetuses with AWDs. The Siemer formula should be used when accuracy in the absolute EFW is the goal. For the purpose of making the more clinically relevant diagnosis of IUGR, use of the Hadlock formula is justified.

Objective: To estimate the rate of success and risk of maternal morbidities in women with three or more prior caesareans who attempt vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC)., Design: Retrospective cohort design., Setting: Multicentre, from 1996 to 2000, including 17 tertiary and community delivery centres in north-eastern USA., Population: A total of 25 005 women who had had at least one prior caesarean delivery., Methods: Women who attempted VBAC with three or more prior caesareans were compared with those who attempted after one and two prior caesareans. Univariable and stratified analyses were used to select factors for multivariable analyses for maternal morbidity. Maternal characteristics were compared using a Student's t test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, as appropriate., Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was composite maternal morbidity, defined as at least one of the following: uterine rupture, bladder or bowel injury, or uterine artery laceration. Secondary outcomes were VBAC success, blood transfusion and fever., Results: Of 25 005 women, 860 had three or more prior caesarean deliveries: 89 attempted VBAC and 771 elected for repeat caesarean. Of the 89 who attempted VBAC, there were no cases of composite maternal morbidity. They were also as likely to have a successful VBAC as women with one prior caesarean (79.8% versus 75.5%, adjusted OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.81-2.41, P = 0.22)., Conclusion: Women with three or more prior caesareans who attempt VBAC have similar rates of success and risk for maternal morbidity as those with one prior caesarean, and as those delivered by elective repeat caesarean.

Although cigarette smoking remains the most prevalent form of tobacco use in girls and in women of reproductive age globally, use of non-cigarette forms of tobacco is prevalent or gaining in popularity in many parts of the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Sparse but growing evidence suggests that the use of some non-cigarette tobacco products during pregnancy increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this paper we review the literature on the prevalence of non-cigarette tobacco product use in pregnant women and in women of reproductive age in high-, middle-, and low-income countries and the evidence that maternal use of these products during pregnancy has adverse health effects. In addition, we communicate findings from an international group of perinatal and tobacco experts that was convened to establish research priorities concerning the use of non-cigarette tobacco products during pregnancy. The working group concluded that attempts to develop a public health response to non-cigarette tobacco use in women are hindered by a lack of data on the epidemiology of use in many parts of the world and by our limited understanding of the type and magnitude of the health effects of these products. We highlight research gaps and provide recommendations for a global research agenda.

We evaluated if maternal demographic and ultrasound parameters predict perinatal mortality in preterm intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Retrospective cohort study of preterm IUGR (delivery gestational age <35 weeks and birth weight <10th percentile for gestation). We excluded twins and fetuses with aneuploidy, intrauterine infection, or major congenital malformations. Information collected included maternal demographic and medical information, estimated fetal weight, oligohydramnios (amniotic fluid index <5), abnormal umbilical artery Dopplers (absent or reverse end-diastolic flow), and abnormal biophysical score (score <6). Our outcome was perinatal mortality, which was defined as in utero death or neonatal death within the first 28 days of life. Statistical analysis included bivariate and multivariable techniques as well as receiver operator characteristic analysis. Two hundred thirty singleton pregnancies with preterm IUGR meeting the inclusion criteria were identified. Variables associated with perinatal mortality included oligohydramnios and abnormal umbilical artery Dopplers. These two variables had modest predictive value for perinatal mortality. In cases of preterm IUGR, only the presence of abnormal umbilical artery Dopplers or oligohydramnios predicts perinatal mortality., ((c) Thieme Medical Publishers.)

Background: Adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth, preeclampsia and placental abruption, are common, with acute and long-term complications for both the mother and infant. Etiologies underlying such adverse outcomes are not well understood. As maternal and fetal genetic factors may influence these outcomes, we estimated the magnitude of familial aggregation as one index of possible heritable contributions. Using the Missouri Department of Health's maternally-linked birth certificate database, we performed a retrospective population-based cohort study of births (1989-1997), designating an individual born from an affected pregnancy as the proband for each outcome studied. We estimated the increased risk to siblings compared to the population risk, using the sibling risk ratio, lambdas, and sibling-sibling odds ratio (sib-sib OR), for the adverse pregnancy outcomes of preterm birth, preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), placental abruption, and pre-eclampsia., Results: Risk to siblings of an affected individual was elevated above the population prevalence of a given disorder, as indicated by lambdaS (lambdaS (95% CI): 4.3 (4.0-4.6), 8.2 (6.5-9.9), 4.0 (2.6-5.3), and 4.5 (4.4-4.8), for preterm birth, PPROM, placental abruption, and pre-eclampsia, respectively). Risk to siblings of an affected individual was similarly elevated above that of siblings of unaffected individuals, as indicated by the sib-sib OR (sib-sib OR adjusted for known risk factors (95% CI): 4.2 (3.9-4.5), 9.6 (7.6-12.2), 3.8 (2.6-5.5), 8.1 (7.5-8.8) for preterm birth, PPROM, placental abruption, and pre-eclampsia, respectively)., Conclusion: These results suggest that the adverse pregnancy outcomes of preterm birth, PPROM, placental abruption, and pre-eclampsia aggregate in families, which may be explained in part by genetics.

Objective: Case report and literature review for congenital pulmonary lymphangiectasis (CPL) CASE REPORT: Male fetus with bilateral pleural effusion, thoracoamniotic shunt, preterm delivery, and prolonged neonatal course with neonatal death at 3 months. Autopsy-identified CPL., Discussion: Review of pathology, clinical course, and genetics of CPL., Conclusion: This postnatal diagnosis of CPL/Hennekam syndrome must be considered with prenatal counseling regarding a fetus with bilateral pleural effusions. This pathological entity is autosomal recessive and has a significant risk of lethality.

Objective: To evaluate the merits of serum screening for herpes simple virus (HSV) in pregnant women with no history of prior HSV infection., Design: Clinical decision analysis., Population: Hypothetical cohort of pregnant women in first trimester with no clinical history of HSV infection., Methods: We used decision analysis techniques to compare three strategies for antepartum screening for HSV in women with no history of infection: (1) universal screening; (2) targeted screening in women estimated to be at high risk for infection; and (3) current care (no screening). For the screening strategies, we considered screening at 35 weeks of gestation, with prophylactic antiviral therapy for seropositive women. For all women, we assumed caesarean delivery in the setting of symptomatic infection at delivery. We performed a literature review of English-language publications to derive probability estimates for the rate of HSV seropositivity in asymptomatic pregnant women, and the risks of symptomatic HSV infection and asymptomatic shedding at the time of delivery. We determined the modification of rates of viral shedding, symptomatic lesions and caesarean section with the use of prophylactic suppression therapy for seropositive women based on available data. We chose neonatal herpes with severe sequelae, neonatal death, as well as caesarean delivery as clinically relevant outcomes., Main Outcome Measures: Number of cases of neonatal death, neonatal HSV with severe sequelae, neonatal HSV with moderate sequelae, patients screened, patients treated and caesarean section with each strategy., Results: Universal maternal screening reduced the total number of deaths and severe sequelae secondary to neonatal HSV. Universal screening required treatment of 3849 women to prevent one case of neonatal death or disease with severe sequelae from HSV. Targeted screening of high risk women treatment of 2277 women to prevent one death or case of severe disease. Universal screening reduced the rate of neonatal HSV attributable to recurrent HSV by 79.3%. Caesarean delivery was reduced with both screening strategies. We used one-way sensitivity analyses to evaluate the robustness of our model., Conclusions: Maternal screening reduced the number of cases of neonatal HSV. Screening also reduced the rate of caesarean delivery. However, employing universal screening will likely result in a significant expenditure of medical resources because the number needed to treat to avert a single case of neonatal herpes is high.

Objective: To establish reliability and validity of real-time fluorescent PCR for early detection of bacterial invasion of the amniotic cavity., Methods: Amniotic fluid samples from 40 patients undergoing mid-trimester genetic amniocentesis were incubated for 6 h at 37 degrees C and were cultured on media specific for group B streptococcus (GBS) and E. coli. Concurrently, samples were analyzed with real-time fluorescent PCR (Roche LightCycler) using DNA primers and probes designed to detect the CAMP factor encoding cfb gene and uidA gene of GBS and E. coli, respectively. For positive control and to simulate amniotic fluid colonization, 104 cfu/ml of GBS and E. coli were inoculated on sterile amniotic fluid and incubated for 6 h. Bacterial genomic DNA for the two organisms was extracted and purified via the two-step precipitation method using a commercial kit. The real-time PCR assays were also tested against 25 non-GBS and non-E. coli bacterial species. The lower limit of detection for each pathogen was established using serial dilution of bacterial genomic DNA., Results: All patient samples were negative for evidence of GBS and E. coli with both culture and real-time PCR methods. Amniotic fluid samples inoculated with GBS and E. coli were positive with real-time PCR whereas the 25 bacterial species other than GBS or E. coli tested negative with the assay. Average total sample processing time including the pre-enrichment step was 7 h 40 min. The average cost for DNA extraction and PCR testing was 8.50 dollars per test., Conclusion: Real-time fluorescent PCR is a valid and reliable method for detection of specific pathogens in amniotic fluid. This technique is sensitive for low inoculation levels. Real-time fluorescent PCR has potential to impact clinical management as a rapid, reliable detection method for GBS and E. coli in chorioamnionitis.

Indomethacin is a prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor sometimes used for tocolysis. Several placebo-controlled trials and trials comparing indomethacin to other potential first-line tocolytic agents support its efficacy for delaying delivery for >48 hours. Recent observational studies, however, have raised concerns about the safety of indomethacin, implicating it with increased rates of intraventricular hemorrhage and necrotizing enterocolitis. Careful analysis of these observational studies suggests that these results should be viewed with caution, because of uncontrolled confounding by indication. A recent decision analysis supports the risk/benefit analysis of indomethacin in this setting. Still, the future of indomethacin in preterm labor should be guided by well-designed prospective clinical trials. Such studies are underway.

Objective: Our aim was to assess the utility and effectiveness of a neural network for predicting the likelihood of success of a trial of labor, relative to standard multivariate predictive models., Study Design: We identified 100 failed trials of labor and 300 successful trials of labor in women with a prior cesarean delivery performed at our institution. Information was collected on >70 potential predictors of labor outcomes from the medical records, including demographic, historical, and past obstetric information, as well as information from the index pregnancy. Bivariate analyses comparing women in whom a trial of labor failed with those whose trial succeeded were performed. These initial analyses were used to select variables for inclusion into our muitivariate predictive model. From the same data we trained and tested a neural network, using a back-propagation algorithm. The test characteristics of the multivariate predictive model and the neural network were compared., Results: From the bivariate analysis a history of substance abuse (adjusted odds ratio, 0.27; 95% confidence interval, 0.09-0.80), a successful prior vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (adjusted odds ratio, 0.13; 95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.31), cervical dilatation at admission (adjusted odds ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.31-0.88), and the need for labor augmentation (adjusted odds ratio, 2.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-4.06) were ultimately discovered to be important in predicting the likelihood of the success or failure of a trial of labor. With these variables in the predictive model the sensitivity of the derived rule for predicting failure was 77%, the specificity was 65%, and the overall accuracy was 69%. We also built a network using the 4 variables that were included in the final multivariate model. We were unable to achieve the same degree of sensitivity and specificity that we observed with the regression-based predictive model (sensitivity and specificity, 59% and 44%)., Conclusion: In this study a standard multivariate model was better able to predict outcome in women ttempting a trial of labor.

Urinary tract abnormalities are fairly common in the perinatal period. Ultrasonography is an effective diagnostic tool for identifying fetal urinary tract anomalies and can be helpful in establishing prognosis and guiding treatment decisions. The sonographer is encouraged to characterize and localize the fetal urinary tract abnormality when identified. In doing so, the correct diagnosis can be selected from the differential possibilities, providing vital clinical information needed to develop a care plan for both the pregnant woman and her fetus.