Mariarosaria Di Tommaso

Women with endometriosis at first pregnancy have an increased risk of adverse obstetric outcome

Abstract Objective: To evaluate pregnancy, delivery and neonatal outcome in singleton primiparous versus multiparous women with/without endometriosis. Methods: Multicentric, observational and cohort study on a group of Caucasian pregnant women (n = 2239) interviewed during their hospitalization for delivery in five Italian Gynecologic and Obstetric Units (Siena, Rome, Padua, Varese and Florence). Results: Primiparous women with endometriosis (n = 219) showed significantly higher risk of small for gestational age fetuses (OR: 2.72, 95% CI 1.46–5.06), gestational diabetes (OR: 2.13, 95% CI 1.32–3.44), preterm premature rupture of membranes (OR: 2.93, 95% CI 1.24–6.87) and preterm birth (OR: 2.24, 95% CI 1.46–3.44), and were hospitalized for a longer period of time (p < 0.0001) comparing with control group (n = 1331). Multiparous women with endometriosis (n = 97) delivered significantly more often small for gestational age fetuses (OR: 2.93, 95% CI 1.28–6.67) than control group (n = 592). Newborns of primiparous women with endometriosis needed more frequently intensive care (p = 0.05) and were hospitalized for a longer period of time (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Women with endometriosis at first pregnancy have an increased risk of impaired obstetric outcome, while a reduced number of complications occur in the successive gestation. Therefore, it is worthy for obstetricians to increase the surveillance in nulliparous women with endometriosis during pregnancy.

Method of delivery and intraventricular haemorrhage in extremely preterm infants

Objectives. It has been reported that caesarean delivery (CD) protects against intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) in the extremely preterm infant, but it is not known whether this effect involve the more severe grades of IVH. Thus, our aim was to confirm the correlation between the occurrence of IVH and the mode of delivery, and to evaluate this correlation for each grade of IVH. Methods. All infants with gestational age (GA) ≤ 28 weeks admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital were studied for each grade IVH and major complications rate. Results. We found that vaginally born infants had a higher rate of each grade of IVH, but the increase was statistically significant only for grade 3 IVH (18% vs. 2%, p < 0.0001) and all grades IVH (45% vs. 20%, p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that CD (RR: 0.42, 95% CI 0.28–0.63), birth weight ≥ 800 g (RR: 0.48, 95% CI 0.32–0.73), 27–28 weeks of GA (RR: 0.38, 95% CI 0.25–0.60) and antenatal steroids (0.66, 95% CI 0.22–0.46) decrease independently the risk of developing IVH. Conclusions. Our study demonstrates that CD decreases the risk of developing IVH in extremely preterm infants including the most severe grades of IVH.

Exercise during pregnancy and risk of preterm birth in overweight and obese women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

The incidence of overweight and obesity in pregnancy has risen significantly in the last decades. Overweight and obesity have been shown to increase the risk for some adverse obstetric outcomes. Lifestyle interventions, such as diet, physical activity and behavior changes, may reduce these risks by promoting weight loss and/or preventing excessive weight gain. The possible impact of exercise on the risk of preterm birth (PTB) in overweight or obese women is controversial. Therefore, the aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of exercise on the risk of PTB in overweight or obese pregnant women.

Evaluation of changes in umbilical blood flow in the fetal lamb by Doppler waveform analysis.

Doppler velocity waveform analysis from descending aortic and umbilical artery signals was performed in 14 instrumented fetal lambs when umbilical blood flow was altered acutely. Blood flow was increased and reduced (by cord occlusion or placental embolization) and ranged 14% to 168% and 8% to 132% from baseline values in the descending aorta and the umbilical artery, respectively. When flow was severely reduced (less than 50% of baseline value), mean placental resistance increased almost fourfold and mean heart rate fell by 30% from baseline levels. There were only weak correlations between Doppler waveform indices and actual flow, which were usually not significantly different from the correlations between Doppler indices and actual heart rate. With both cord occlusion and placental embolization, significant changes of index values from baseline values were seen only when flow was severely reduced. We conclude that Doppler waveform analysis is not sensitive enough to detect acute mild to moderate reductions in placental flow. Increased index values with severely reduced flow may be explained in part by the concomitant fall in heart rate.

Exercise during pregnancy and risk of gestational hypertensive disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Gestational hypertensive disorders, including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, are one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of exercise during pregnancy on the risk of gestational hypertensive disorders.

Steroidal and non-steroidal third-generation aromatase inhibitors induce pain-like symptoms via TRPA1.

Use of aromatase inhibitors (AIs), exemestane, letrozole and anastrozole, for breast cancer therapy is associated with severe pain symptoms, the underlying mechanism of which is unknown. The electrophilic nature of AIs suggests that they may target the transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channel, a major pathway in pain transmission and neurogenic inflammation. AIs evoke TRPA1-mediated calcium response and current in rodent nociceptors and human cells expressing the recombinant channel. In mice, AIs produce acute nociception, which is exaggerated by pre-exposure to proalgesic stimuli, and, by releasing sensory neuropeptides, neurogenic inflammation in peripheral tissues. AIs also evoke mechanical allodynia and decreased grip strength, which do not undergo desensitization on prolonged AI administration. These effects are markedly attenuated by TRPA1 pharmacological blockade or in TRPA1-deficient mice. TRPA1 is a major mediator of the proinflammatory/proalgesic actions of AIs, thus suggesting TRPA1 antagonists for the treatment of pain symptoms associated with AI use.

Neonatal morbidity after cesarean section before labor at 34(+0) to 38(+6) weeks: a cohort study

Abstract Objective: To describe morbidity in neonates born by cesarean section (CS) before labor between 34+0 and 38+6 weeks, stratified by gestational age. Methods: Cohort study from five Italian tertiary care hospitals. Consecutive singleton pregnancies delivered by CS before labor between 34+0 and 38+6 weeks of gestation from January 2010 to August 2011 were included. Women in labor, with premature rupture of membranes, or with previous administration of steroids were excluded. The incidence of neonatal complication by gestational week was calculated. Results: A total of 1135 cases were analyzed. Composite adverse neonatal outcomes, respiratory distress syndrome, transient tachypnea and use of continuous airway positive pressure decreased from 50%, 28%, 5% and 22% at 34 weeks of gestation, to 4.7%, 1.0%, 0.9% and 0.3% at 38 weeks of gestation. Multivariate analysis showed that the only variable independently associated with composite adverse neonatal outcome was gestational age at delivery (adjusted odds ratio 0.49; 95% confidence interval 0.39–0.61). Conclusions: The prevalence of neonatal complications in newborns delivered by CS before labor halves at each week of gestation from 34 to 38 weeks. Nonetheless complications, and mainly respiratory problems, are still present at early term gestation.

Comparison of five classification systems for interpreting electronic fetal monitoring in predicting neonatal status at birth.

Objective: To compare the accuracy of five different classification systems for interpreting electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) when predicting neonatal status at birth, as determined by the umbilical cord arterial pH. Methods: Ninety-seven cardiotocography traces were retrospectively interpreted according to five classification systems for EFM: Dublin Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring Trial (DFHRMT), Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG), Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and Parer & Ikeda’s. For each classification system, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated. The capacity of the classifications to predict neonatal pH was also evaluated by receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Agreement between the five systems was estimated using weighted kappa statistic. Results: Considering pH ≤7.15 as the cutoff for low pH, the sensitivity and specificity values were 100 and 18% (DFHRMT); 100 and 15% (RCOG); 88 and 37% (SOGC); 67 and 92% (NICHD); 55 and 67% (Parer & Ikeda). The ROC curves showed that all classifications analyzed had a low discriminative capacity when predicting umbilical artery pH ≤7.15. An excellent agreement was observed between DFHRMT and RCOG (weighted κ value: 0.860). Conclusions: Parer & Ikeda and NICHD classifications had the highest specificity in detecting umbilical cord arterial pH ≤7.15. The high specificity of the NICHD classification is hindered by a high percentage of “intermediate” traces (80%). Parer & Ikeda classification is the one that best classify as pathological only the traces of fetuses that are truly at risk of acidemia, thus avoiding unnecessary intervention. It also showed the best trade-off between sensitivity and specificity and the lowest rate of traces considered “intermediate.”

Blood gas values in clamped and unclamped umbilical cord at birth

AIM To determine the reliability of the cord blood gas analysis on the unclamped cord compared to the standard technique of sampling on double clamped cord. STUDY DESIGN Prospective observational study conducted on 46 singleton neonates vaginally delivered at term. Matched pairs of umbilical artery and vein blood samples were collected from unclamped cord within 90s after birth and from the same cord after clamping, with the clamping occurring immediately after the first blood collection. A blood gas analysis was performed on each collected sample. OUTCOME MEASURES Arterial and venous blood samples were analyzed for pH, PO2, pCO2, SaO2, hemoglobin concentration (ctHb) and base excess (BE). The values were compared between the two groups (clamped vs unclamped) using a Wilcoxon test. RESULTS No significant difference was found in pH, PO2, pCO2, SaO2 and ctHb values on arterial blood between unclamped and clamped cord. The only significant difference was related to BE (p<0.001). For the venous blood, the values of pH, PO2, pCO2 were comparable between unclamped and clamped cord, while the values of SaO2, ctHb and BE were significantly different (p<0.05). CONCLUSION No significant difference was found in almost all the arterial blood gas parameters and in the main venous blood gas parameters between unclamped and clamped cord. Sampling of cord blood for gas analysis may be performed on the unclamped cord right after birth without reducing the accuracy of the analysis.

Activin A and its Regulatory Molecules in Placenta and Fetal Membranes of Women with Preterm Premature Rupture of the Membranes Associated with Acute Chorioamnionitis

To investigate regulation of activin A and related molecules in placenta/fetal membranes from preterm premature rupture of membranes (pPROM) associated with acute chorioamnionitis (ACA).