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Objectives: The safest mode of delivery in low‐lying placenta is debatable. Little is known about outcomes in low‐lying placenta resolved during the late third trimester. We compare outcomes of women with persistent versus resolved low‐lying placenta. Methods: A retrospective analysis on a prospective cohort of women with low‐lying placenta confirmed at 28–30 weeks sonography (01/2009 to 03/2018). Women were followed up serially every 2 to 3 weeks until delivery to assess the placental edge‐to‐internal os distance (IOD), and included if scan was performed within 28 days before delivery. Results: There were 86 women: in 21 the low‐lying placenta resolved, whereas in 65 persisted (n = 15 IOD 1–10 mm, n = 50 IOD 11–20 mm). Antepartum bleeding associated with higher rates of urgent cesarean delivery in 1–10 mm (P =.041) but not in 11–20 mm (P = 1.000) and >20 mm (P =.333). Among women with IOD >10 mm allowed to labor, vaginal delivery occurred in 76.7% (11–20 mm) and 94.1% (>20 mm) (P =.155), with no difference according to parity (70% and 80% in multiparas, P =.696; 60% and 72.7% in nulliparas, P =.698). Severe PPH (P =.922) and hemoglobin drop (P =.109) were similar among groups. Women with IOD 11–20 mm and >20 mm and vaginal delivery bled less than women with similarly located placenta and cesarean delivery (P =.009 and P =.048). Conclusions: Women with IOD >10 mm have high chances of deliver vaginally with no further increase of their hemorrhagic risk. Success of vaginal delivery is independent of parity and antepartum bleeding. Labor should be managed in an adequate hospital setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess acceptability, efficacy, and short- and medium-term complications of vaginal misoprostol therapy for the treatment of first trimester miscarriage.Study Design: A prospective cohort study including women admitted to the Unit of Obstetrics, MBBM Foundation, San Gerardo Hospital (Monza, Italy) for medical or surgical treatment of first trimester miscarriage between October 2014 and March 2018. As per Institutional protocol, patients in the medical therapy group received 800 µg of misoprostol vaginally. A second dose could be considered 3 days after the first administration if that was ineffective. Surgical treatment consisted of uterine vacuum aspiration. Success of misoprostol treatment was defined as the expulsion of the gestational sac with no need for subsequent surgery.Results: During the study period, 967 patients were diagnosed with first trimester miscarriage and were included in the study. Of these, 514 (53.2%) women were eligible for and consented to medical therapy. Surgical treatment was performed in the remaining 453 (46.8%) patients due to either medical contraindication to misoprostol or patient's choice. Acceptance of misoprostol as first therapeutic choice increased over time, becoming the preferred treatment after approximately 18 months of use in clinical practice. One dose of misoprostol was successful in 69.8% (n = 359) of patients, whereas 20 women required urgent surgery for bleeding (n = 19) or suspected infection (n = 1). Among the remaining 135 patients, 20 (14.8%) refused the second dose of misoprostol and opted for surgery. Expulsion of the gestational sac was obtained in 74 additional cases who completed the medical protocol, for an overall success rate of 87.7% (433/494). The majority of women receiving misoprostol did not experience any short-term complication (92.0%) or side effect (93.8%). Eight (1.6%) cases requiring delayed surgery (hysteroscopy or vacuum aspiration) for retained product of conception were identified at the postmedical treatment follow up, thus leading to an actual success rate of misoprostol of 86.0% (n = 425).Conclusions: This is the first study assessing the acceptability, efficacy, and complication rate of medical management of first trimester miscarriage in an Italian tertiary care center. Our results confirm that misoprostol alone is an effective as well as a safe therapeutic option for the treatment of first trimester miscarriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Autologous and heterologous assisted reproductive technology (ART) conceptions have been on the rise for the last few decades and alongside with that have the rate of multiple pregnancies. Multiple gestations are associated with high odds of gestational complications and, in turn, adverse delivery and feto-neonatal outcomes. Whether ART-conception further increases such elevated risk is still debated. ART is more commonly accessed by older women with chronic diseases, which relate to heightened likelihood of complications. We decided to investigate the influence of autologous and heterologous ART conception compared to spontaneous conception on delivery and feto-neonatal outcomes of diamniotic twin pregnancies in a cohort of healthy women with no chronic conditions or gestational complications.Materials and methods: Retrospective cohort study among diamniotic twin pregnancies in mothers without pregestational or gestational disease. Delivery and feto-neonatal outcomes were compared among three groups according to mode of conception: (1) spontaneous conception (SC, referent group, n = 251 pregnancies), (2) autologous ART-conception (A-ART, n = 87), and (3) heterologous ART-conception (H-ART, n = 22).Results: At adjusted analyses, twin pregnancies conceived by A-ART showed a twofold heightened risk of delivery by urgent/emergent cesarean section, as well as four and sevenfold increase in odds of blood loss >1000 and >1500 mL, respectively. H-ART pregnancies were at fivefold higher risk of undergoing prelabor cesarean section compared to SC, whereas no differences were identified for odds of severe post-partum hemorrhage. Also, A-ART and H-ART gestations displayed fetal and neonatal outcomes similar to SC pregnancies when analysis was adjusted for relevant confounding factors.Conclusion: Our results suggest that both A-ART and H-ART conception associate with increased odds of operative delivery among diamniotic twin pregnancies in healthy mothers with no chronic diseases or gestational complications. Also, a higher risk of severe postpartum hemorrhage appears to relate to A-ART independent of mode of delivery and maternal age. Further studies with larger series of uncomplicated twin pregnancies are warranted to improve our understanding of the relationship of ART to adverse delivery outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Optimal management of twin deliveries is controversial. We aimed to assess if intertwin delivery interval, after vaginal delivery of the first twin, may have an influence on adverse neonatal outcomes of the second twin Study design: This is a retrospective observational study including diamniotic twin pregnancies with vaginal delivery of the first twin, between January 2000 and July 2017. Inclusion criteria were diamniotic pregnancies and vaginal delivery of the first twin. We excluded higher twin order, monoamniotic pregnancies, cesarean delivery of the first twin and patients with missing data. Results: A number of 400 diamniotic twin pregnancies met the inclusion criteria and were divided, considering intertwin delivery interval into (1) ≤30 minutes (n = 365); and (2) >30 minutes (n = 35). Considering the two study groups, maternal and first twin characteristics and outcomes were similar. Second twin reported higher incidence of cesarean section and vacuum delivery, but similar incidence of neonatal adverse outcomes, in case of intertwin interval >30 minutes. At multivariate analysis, a difference between second and first twin weight ≥25% was correlated to neonatal adverse outcome, while we did not found this correlation with a cut-off of 30 minutes. Conclusions: In our study, growth discrepancy between twins was significantly correlated to adverse neonatal outcomes, while intertwin delivery time was not an influencing factor. So, in line with this result, in our clinical practice, we do not use a fixed time in which both twins should be delivered, neither in monochorionic nor in dichorionic pregnancies, when fetal wellbeing was demonstrated during labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]