Ensemble learning for fetal ultrasound and maternal-fetal data to predict mode of delivery after labor induction.

Providing adequate counseling on mode of delivery after induction of labor (IOL) is of utmost importance. Various AI algorithms have been developed for this purpose, but rely on maternal-fetal data, not including ultrasound (US) imaging. We used retrospectively collected clinical data from 808 subjects submitted to IOL, totaling 2024 US images, to train AI models to predict vaginal delivery (VD) and cesarean section (CS) outcomes after IOL.

European guidelines on perinatal care: corticosteroids for women at risk of preterm birth.

of recommendationsCorticosteroids should be administered to women at a gestational age between 24 and 33weeks, when preterm birth is anticipated in the next seven days, as these have been consistently shown to reduce neonatal mortality and morbidity. (Strong-quality evidence; strong recommendation). In selected cases, extension of this period up to 34weeks may be considered (Expert opinion).

Primary biliary cholangitis first demonstrated in pregnancy: a case report.

Background: We present a case of primary biliary cholangitis diagnosed during pregnancy. Diagnosis of this entity in pregnancy is infrequent, and when everything seemed to point to a simple obstetric cholestasis, close attention to the details of the clinical history was required to raise suspicion of the true diagnosis.

Case Presentation: We present a 37-year-old Portuguese Caucasian patient who complained of generalized pruritus and showed alteration in hepatic function tests with a cholestatic pattern.

Experience with direct oral anticoagulants in pregnancy - a systematic review.

Objectives: The experience and use of the new direct oral anti coagulants (DOACs) in pregnancy is limited, but as they offer many practical advantages compared to low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), the pursue of their safety is challenging.

Methods: Systematic review of studies in which DOACs were used during pregnancy and the puerperal period (PROSPERO registry-CRD42021237688). Searches were performed on MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases, until July 2021 and secondary sources using the MeSH terms 'pregnancy', 'pregnancy complications', 'venous thrombosis', 'congenital abnormalities', 'Factor Xa Inhibitors,' and names of specific DOACs.

Type 2 and type 3 innate lymphoid cells at the maternal-fetal interface: implications in preterm birth.

Background: Preterm birth (PTB) is one of the major causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is commonly accepted that the act of giving birth is the final step in a proinflammatory signaling cascade, orchestrated by an intrauterine milieu coupled to hormonal cues. Consequently, the inflammatory process plays a pivotal role during the pathogenesis of human labor, both in term and preterm deliveries.

Providing new insights into the endometriosisassociated cancer arising in episiotomy scars.

Endometriosis-associated malignancy in an episiotomy scar is rare. The predictive factors are poorly understood as are the mechanisms and pathways associated with implantation and malignant transformation. In this study we describe the cases reported in the literature of malignancies arising in endometriosis foci of an episiotomy scar.

Innate Lymphoid Cells in Human Pregnancy.

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are a new set of cells considered to be a part of the innate immune system. ILCs are classified into five subsets (according to their transcription factors and cytokine profile) as natural killer cells (NK cells), group 1 ILCs, group 2 ILCs, group 3 ILCs, and lymphoid tissue inducers (LTi). Functionally, these cells resemble the T helper population but lack the expression of recombinant genes, which is essential for the formation of T cell receptors.

Can immunity during pregnancy influence SARS-CoV-2 infection? - A systematic review.

Background: During pregnancy, the maternal immune system must create and sustain tolerance to the allogeneic fetus while maintaining the ability to protect against microbial assaults.

Objectives: Ascertain the immunological differences in immune cells of pregnant women that may influence SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Study Design: Systematic review conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and registered within PROSPERO CRD42020189735.

Procalcitonin in preterm rupture of membranes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Early detection of infection is of supreme importance in obstetrics; however, during pregnancy it is not reliably predicted by standard laboratory tests. We aimed to determine if procalcitonin (PCT) is a reliable predictor of chorioamnionitis (CA) in women with premature rupture of membranes (PPROM).

Methods: An electronic search of Scopus, ISI, Medline, Embase, ClinicalTrials.

The role of innate immunity in spontaneous preterm labor: A systematic review.

Background: Immunoinflammatory response by innate immunity components is a field with increasing interest in understanding the mechanisms behind preterm labor (PTL).

Objectives: Systematic review of the role of innate immunity in spontaneous PTL.

Study Design: PubMed, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.

Advanced Maternal Age: Adverse Outcomes of Pregnancy, A Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: The risks of pregnancy in women of advanced maternal age are not consensual amongst studies. The aim of this metaanalysis  was to determine whether women of advanced maternal age (≥ 35 years old) had worse obstetrical and perinatal outcomes than non- advanced maternal age women (20 - 34 years old) in singleton, naturally-conceived pregnancies.

Material And Methods: We searched PubMed/ MEDLINE, IndexRMP and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Acute Onset Neurological Disorders during Pregnancy: A Literature Review.

 To characterize the most common peripheral and central neurological disorders during pregnancy.  Original research and review of the literature on neurological complications during pregnancy. We searched for keywords related to the topic on different databases.

Syphilis in Pregnancy and Congenital Syphilis: Reality in a Portuguese Central University Hospital.

 To evaluate maternal-fetal surveillance and follow-up of infants at risk for congenital syphilis (CS).  Retrospective cohort study in a Portuguese Tertiary Referral Hospital. The main inclusion criterion was a positive syphilis serology.

Is Preterm Labor Influenced by the Maternal-Fetal Interface?

Preterm labor (PTL) accounts for almost 11% of deliveries, and is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. T regulatory (Treg) cells may prevent fetal rejection by the maternal immune system under the influence of progesterone. Case control study was conducted to determine Treg cells, IL-10, TGF-β, and membrane progesterone receptorα (mPRα) in the maternal-fetal interface (placenta), including eight pregnant women with threatened PTL (study group) and 16 normal-delivery women (control group).

Does progesterone administration in preterm labor influence Treg cells?

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine if the actions of progesterone on preterm labor are accomplished through modulation of the percentage of regulatory T-cells (Treg).

Methods: The study was a cohort pilot study made in a single center tertiary obstetrical unit with women in preterm labor arrested with tocolytic treatment. Variation of the number and percentage of Treg cells obtained from peripheral blood samples of women with preterm labor were calculated by flow cytometry, before and after progesterone administration.

Low-molecular-weight heparin plus aspirin versus aspirin alone in pregnant women with hereditary thrombophilia to improve live birth rate: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Purpose: To determine in women with hereditary thrombophilia whether the use of the combination of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) and aspirin (ASA) is better than ASA alone.

Methods: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials evaluating LMWH + ASA compared to ASA in pregnant women with hereditary thrombophilia in order to improve live birth rate. A systematic literature search was conducted in 5 databases (PubMed, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, EMBASE, Scopus and ISI Web of Knowledge).