Ching-Chang Hsieh

Risk Factors for Placental Abruption in an Asian Population

The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for placental abruption in an Asian population. The authors conducted a retrospective review of 37 245 Taiwanese women who delivered between July 1990 and December 2003. Pregnancies complicated by placenta previa, multiple gestation, and fetal anomalies were excluded. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for potentially confounding variables and to identify independent risk factors for placental abruption. Three hundred thirty-two women had placental abruption (9 per 1000 singleton deliveries). Women who smoked during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 8.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.0-23.9), had gestational hypertensive diseases (adjusted OR = 4.9; 95% CI = 3.3-7.3), pregnancies complicated by oligohydramnios (adjusted OR = 4.2; 95% CI = 2.7-6.7), polyhydramnios (adjusted OR = 3.3; 95% CI = 1.4-7.7), preterm premature rupture of membranes (adjusted OR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.1-3.1), entanglement of umbilical cord (adjusted OR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.2-2.1), were of or more than 35 years of age (adjusted OR = 1.5; 95% CI = 1.1-2.0), and had a low prepregnancy body mass index (adjusted OR = 1.3; 95% CI = 1.0-1.6) were at increased risk for placental abruption. Some risk factors for placental abruption among Taiwanese women are the same as those of other ethnic groups, whereas some of the risk factors are different.

The impact of interpregnancy interval and previous preterm birth on the subsequent risk of preterm birth

Objective: To examine the impact of the interpregnancy interval and a previous preterm birth on the subsequent risk of a preterm birth. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a group of 4072 women who had at least two consecutive births, excluding multiple gestation, fetal anomalies, cervical incompetence, and stillbirth. Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate the association between interpregnancy interval, preterm birth of the first child in the pair (index pregnancy), and the risk of a preterm birth of the second child in the pair (outcome pregnancy). Results: Women with interpregnancy intervals of less than 12 months (odds ratio [OR] 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01. 1.7) were at increased risks of preterm birth with the outcome pregnancy. Furthermore, there was an increased risk for a subsequent preterm birth in women who had a preterm birth in the index pregnancy (OR 4.2; 95% CI 3.0-6.0). The risk decreased as the interpregnancy interval increased, with a relatively low risk at 18 to 48 months; subsequently, it increased sharply. In contrast, women who had delivered their previous infants at term carried an increased risk of preterm birth with the outcome pregnancy only if the interval was less than 6 months. Conclusion: A difference was found in the impact of the interpregnancy interval on the subsequent risk of preterm birth between women with a prior preterm birth and those who previously delivered an infant at term.

Outcome of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung after antenatal diagnosis.

We evaluated the outcome of fetuses diagnosed with having congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) on ultrasonographic examination and managed conservatively.

Perinatal Outcome of Oligohydramnios without Associated Premature Rupture of Membranes and Fetal Anomalies

To investigate the perinatal outcome of patients with oligohydramnios (amniotic fluid index ≤5 cm), but without premature rupture of membranes and fetal congenital anomalies, data from 245 singleton pregnancies were analyzed and compared to those with normal amniotic fluid volumes (5 < amniotic fluid index < 24 cm, n = 27,261). Significantly higher incidences of primiparity, pregnancy-induced hypertension, premature separation of placenta, past history of intrauterine fetal death, past history of preterm delivery, postterm pregnancy, and advanced maternal age were noted to be associated with the occurrence of oligohydramnios. Pregnancies complicated by a markedly diminished amniotic fluid volume assessed antenatally by ultrasound were significantly more frequently associated with adverse perinatal outcomes such as preterm delivery, low or very low birth weight, low Apgar scores, intrauterine fetal death, small-for-gestational-age newborns, meconium staining, cesarean delivery, neonatal intensive care, and neonatal death.

Tumor Necrosis Factor—α Converting Enzyme in the Human Placenta Throughout Gestation

Ectodomain shedding of epidermal growth factor receptor ligands such as transforming growth factor— α (TGF-α), heparin-binding epidermal growth factor—like growth factor (HBEGF), and amphiregulin (AREG) is considered to be important during implantation. Tumor necrosis factor—α converting enzyme (TACE) has been suggested as the major sheddase for these molecules. The objectives of this study are (1) to characterize the expression of TACE in the human placenta throughout gestation; (2) to determine the association between the expression of TACE with TGF-α, HBEGF, and AREG; (3) to ascertain whether TACE mediates TGF-α, HBEGF, and AREG shedding; and (4) to examine the effect of hypoxia on the expression of TACE. By analyzing a total of 55 villous samples representing different gestational ages, the authors found that TACE was continuously expressed in the placentas throughout gestation and that the levels of TACE were positively correlated with the levels of TGF-α, HBEGF, and AREG. Preadministration of a TACE inhibitor in villous explant cultures or transfection of cytotrophoblastic cells with TACE-specific small interference RNA decreased the shedding of HBEGF and AREG. Moreover, hypoxia (2% O2) caused an increase in the levels of TACE mRNA and protein in villous explants and primary cytotrophoblastic cells in vitro. These results indicate that oxygen regulates the expression of TACE and that TACE may be important for placental development during human pregnancy.

Prenatal Diagnosis of Major Congenital Cardiovascular Malformations

This prospective study was designed to determine whether there would be a higher incidence of congenital cardiovascular malformation (CCVM) in pregnant women with certain risk factors. Fetal echocardiography, from second trimester of term, was performed in 1,659 pregnant women with risk factors for CCVMs and 826 pregnant women without risk factors from March 1990 to April 1995. Two-dimensional imaging, fetal M mode measurements, Doppler waveform velocity and Doppler color flow mapping were used for fetal heart examination. During this period, 70 fetuses with major cardiovascular malformations were found. The prenatal detection rate was determined as 2.8% (70/2,485) in our study. The rate in the high-risk group, however, was 3.7% (61/1,659). Of all indications, fetal risk factors had the highest rate (9.3%, 46/494) of detected CCVMs. Maternal and familial indications could be excluded from the high-risk group as they did not show any increased incidence over the low-risk group. We suggest that fetal echocardiography is mandatory in the high-risk group, especially in cases with fetal and placental risk factors. Fetal cardiac screening in the hands of first-line sonographers has a major role in prenatal diagnosis of CCVMs in the low-risk group.

Risk factors and perinatal outcomes associated with idiopathic small for gestational age Taiwanese newborns

To determine risk factors and perinatal outcomes associated with small for gestational age (SGA) neonates among healthy pregnant women.

Factors associated with endometrial bleeding in continuous hormone replacement therapy.

ObjectiveTo identify clinical and laboratory parameters associated with the occurrence of endometrial bleeding within the first 6 months of treatment in postmenopausal women taking continuous hormone replacement therapy. DesignWe performed a prospective study of 55 postmenopausal women who had amenorrhea for at least 12 months before baseline screening and were taking 0.625 mg conjugated estrogen and 5 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate daily on a continuous basis. Postmenopausal duration was defined as the interval, in months, between the last menstruation and the commencement of treatment. All subjects were instructed to monitor bleeding episodes in a diary and were followed up monthly for at least 12 months. ResultsThirty-four women (62%) experienced bleeding within the first 6 months of treatment. Using a multivariate approach, a woman with a postmenopausal duration of 24 months or less had a relative risk of 8.2 (95% confidence limits: 1.3, 53.1) of bleeding, as compared with those with a postmenopausal duration of more than 24 months. Furthermore, pretreatment endometrial thickness greater than 5 mm (p < 0.05) and serum estradiol levels greater than 25 pg/mL (p < 0.01) were noted to be significantly correlated with the occurrence of bleeding in women with a postmenopausal duration of more than 24 months. ConclusionsWomen with a postmenopausal duration of 24 months or less, a pretreatment endometrial thickness greater than 5 mm, and serum estradiol level greater than 25 pg/mL are at risk to have endometrial bleeding within the first 6 months of continuous hormone replacement therapy.

Perinatal outcome in normal pregnant women with incidental thrombocytopenia at delivery

OBJECTIVE To investigate the perinatal outcomes of women who suffered from thrombocytopenia at delivery but did not have other diseases during pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS We considered all singleton deliveries after 24 weeks of gestation at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan between 2001 and 2010. Women were excluded from this study if they suffered from any of the following conditions: chronic hypertension, hepatitis, acute fatty liver, liver cirrhosis, nephropathy, overt diabetes mellitus, connective tissue disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, or immune thrombocytopenia. Pregnancies complicated by gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, or fetal anomalies during gestation were also excluded. A total of 18,384 deliveries were included for analysis. Women were divided into three groups according to platelet count at admission. RESULTS A total of 787 pregnancies (4.3%) were complicated by thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenic women had a significantly higher rate of cesarean delivery compared to women who did not have this condition. No other differences were observed among these three groups regarding the rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that women who suffered from incidental thrombocytopenia at delivery but did not have other diseases during pregnancy were not at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Sacrococcygeal teratoma associated with a normal alpha-fetoprotein concentration

Our patient is a 29-year-old primipara who was referred at 29 weeks’ gestation for evaluation of a cystic mass involving the fetal sacrum. Maternal serum screening for fetal Down syndrome at 16 weeks’ gestation revealed alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) 29.0 rig/ml (0.65 multiples of the median, MOM), human chorionic gonadotropin 56903.0 mIU/ml (1.47 MOM) and a calculated risk of 1:1652. Previous ultrasound examination at 19 weeks’ gestation showed an appropriate growth of the fetus. A detailed ultrasound examination at this institution showed a 7.2 x 5.8 cm cystic mass with some solid contents inside arising from the sacral area and partially extending to the perineum. There was a tiny ventricular septal defect, but otherwise no significant anomalies were found. All these features evoked the diagnosis of sacro-