Eclampsia a preventable tragedy: an African overview.

Eclampsia is a multisystemic disease associated with various complications which individually or in combination can lead to maternal/fetal morbidity and mortality. Developed countries and some developing countries were largely successful in reducing the incidence of eclampsia. Developing countries especially those in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are still dealing with high incidence of eclampsia.

Obstetric hemorrhage: effective methods for addressing the menace in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Obstetric hemorrhage is a serious emergency. It can occur late in pregnancy and in the immediate postpartum period. Postpartum hemorrhage is the major contributor of maternal deaths worldwide.

Impediments to maternal mortality reduction in Africa: a systemic and socioeconomic overview.

Maternal mortality is nowadays more of a problem of developing countries especially those in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Maternal mortality has to large extent been eliminated in developed countries and has drastically been reduced in many other regions of the world. The maternal mortality rate (MMR) available in the literature from Africa is not a true reflection of the actual MMR as it is derived from institutional studies.

Midwife-assisted planned home birth: an essential component of improving the safety of childbirth in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Hospital births, when compared to out-of-hospital births, have generally led to not only a significantly reduced maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity but also an increase in certain interventions. A trend seems to be emerging, especially in the US where some women are requesting home births, which creates ethical challenges for obstetricians and the health care organizations and policy makers. In the developing world, a completely different reality exists.

Fetal magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been increasingly adopted in obstetrics practice in the past three decades. MRI aids prenatal ultrasound and improves diagnostic accuracy for selected maternal and fetal conditions. However, it should be considered only when high-quality ultrasound cannot provide certain information that affects the counseling, prenatal intervention, pregnancy course, and delivery plan.

Controversial ultrasound findings in mid trimester pregnancy. Evidence based approach.

Mid trimester fetal anatomy scan is a fundamental part of routine antenatal care. Some U/S soft markers or controversial U/S signs are seen during the scan and create some confusion regarding their relation to fetal chromosomal abnormalities. Example of these signs: echogenic focus in the heart, echogenic bowel, renal pyelectasis, ventriculomegaly, polydactely, club foot, choroid plexus cyst, single umbilical artery.

Ultrasound in Africa: what can really be done?

Today we are living in a globalized world in which information on what is happening in one part of the world is easily communicated to other parts of the world. This happens thanks to advancement in science and technology. One area where technology has made the greatest impact is heath care provision.

3D/4D sonography - any safety problem.

Gray-scale image data are processed in 3D ultrasound by repeated scans of multiple planes within a few seconds to achieve one surface rendering image and three perpendicular plane images. The 4D image is achieved by repeating 3D images in short intervals, i.e.

Is intrauterine surgery justified? Report from the working group on ultrasound in obstetrics of the World Association of Perinatal Medicine (WAPM).

Fetal surgery involves a large number of heterogeneous interventions that vary from simple and settled procedures to very sophisticated or still-in-development approaches. The overarching goal of fetal interventions is clear: to improve the health of children by intervening before birth to correct or treat prenatally diagnosed abnormalities. This article provides an overview of fetal interventions, ethical approaches in fetal surgery, and benefits obtained from antenatal surgeries.