Publications by authors named "Baha Sibai"

Our objective was to develop a prediction model for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection perinatal transmission to improve triage for neonatal follow-up. This was a secondary analysis of HCV antibody-positive participants who were enrolled in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network multicenter observational study of HCV infection in pregnancy. Among 432 participants, the perinatal transmission rate was 6.

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Preterm premature rupture of membranes is defined as the leakage of amniotic fluid through the cervical os before 37 weeks of gestation and before the onset of labor and complicates nearly 3% of deliveries and 30% of indicated late preterm deliveries. The current management of preterm premature rupture of membranes, which occurs between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation, has pivoted from recommending delivery to recommending either delivery or expectant management because of a large trial that evaluated these management strategies. The potential neonatal benefits of expectant management, reducing complications of prematurity, must be weighed with the maternal risks (and, therefore, attached neonatal risks) of prolonging the gestation under close surveillance.

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Background: The effect of pregnancy on individuals with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is not well investigated.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of pregnancy on all-cause mortality and clinical outcomes among individuals with HCM.

Methods: Using the TriNetX research network, we identified individuals within reproductive age (≥18-45 years) with a diagnosis of HCM between 2012 and 2022 (n = 10,936).

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Objective: To describe the presentation, outcomes, and management strategies for cases of subcapsular liver hematoma associated with preeclampsia, eclampsia, or HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count) syndrome.

Methods: This was a case series of individuals with subcapsular liver hematoma managed at a single level IV center over a 10-year period, from 2013 to 2024. Presenting signs and symptoms, laboratory findings, time of onset, management strategies, acute perinatal and maternal outcomes, and long-term outcomes such as subsequent pregnancies were reviewed in the medical record and recorded.

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Despite its critical importance, the placenta receives substantially less attention during obstetric ultrasound examinations compared to the fetus. The evaluation of the placenta is typically limited to determining its location within the uterus, particularly its relationship to the cervix. Abnormal placenta findings are the result of gross anomalies identified by chance during obstetric examinations, rather than from a systematic evaluation.

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Objective:  We aimed to evaluate the relationship between intrapartum continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and neonatal hypoglycemia (NH) in individuals with diabetes.

Study Design:  a multicenter prospective study (November 2021-December 2022) of laboring individuals with pregestational or gestational diabetes at ≥34 weeks. Cohorts had a blinded CGM placed from admission through delivery and were monitored with fingerstick (FS) according to usual care.

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Article Synopsis
  • Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) occurs when amniotic fluid leaks before 37 weeks of pregnancy, impacting about 3% of deliveries and 30% of late preterm deliveries.
  • Management strategies for PPROM between 34 to 36 weeks have shifted from solely recommending delivery to considering either delivery or monitoring (expectant management), following a significant trial on the topic.
  • Immediate delivery is advised at 34 weeks due to higher risks of complications for mothers, such as hemorrhage and infection, with limited evidence suggesting that immediate delivery doesn't significantly increase adverse outcomes for newborns compared to expectant management.
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Research conducted over the past few decades has shown that low-dose aspirin can effectively reduce the risk of developing preeclampsia. Consequently, numerous prominent organizations have adopted the recommendation to use low-dose aspirin during pregnancy to prevent preeclampsia. However, the optimal dosage of low-dose aspirin (81mg versus 162mg) remains a subject of debate.

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The research and implementation process for a new screening test should involve two steps. First, one has to demonstrate that the test can predict a certain outcome or appropriately stratify the patients based on risk for the outcome. The second step requires evidence of clinical utility.

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The management of hypertensive disease in pregnancy is currently guided by practice recommendations based largely on observational data from a half century ago and has changed only superficially since that time. These recommendations are both narrowly prescriptive (women without traditional features of severe disease should all be delivered at exactly 37 weeks) and at the same time frustratingly ambiguous (the presence of epigastric pain unresponsive to repeat analgesics precludes expectant management at any gestational age, regardless of laboratory studies). Guidelines that ignore recent data from the obstetric, pediatric, and internal medicine literature too often lead practitioners to be more aggressive than necessary in the delivery of very premature pregnancies, and, conversely, more complacent than patient safety would support in prolonging pregnancy with advanced fetal maturity.

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  • The study assessed fetal growth and birthweight in pregnancies affected by placenta previa, comparing those with and without placenta accreta spectrum (PAS).
  • The research involved 171 patients with PAS and 146 without, and found no significant differences in small for gestational age (SGA) or large for gestational age (LGA) rates between the two groups at different ultrasound check-ups.
  • Although fetuses with PAS showed a higher birthweight percentile than those with only placenta previa, the overall findings suggest that neither condition is linked to SGA, LGA, or lower birthweight outcomes.
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  • - The study aimed to see if treating mild chronic hypertension (CHTN) during pregnancy would lead to fewer unplanned healthcare visits after childbirth.
  • - An analysis of 2,293 pregnant patients showed that overall unplanned healthcare utilization rates were similar between the treatment and control groups, though emergency visits were notably lower in the treated group.
  • - Factors like higher BMI and cesarean deliveries were found to increase the likelihood of needing unplanned postpartum care, even though treating mild CHTN showed some specific benefits.
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  • * Results showed that the median gestational ages during cervical length measurement were slightly different between the cerclage group (20 weeks) and the no-cerclage group (21 weeks), but both groups had similar cervical lengths.
  • * The prevalence of preterm delivery was notably higher in women without cerclage (87.5%) compared to those who received cerclage (55.3%), indicating a potential benefit of cerclage in delaying delivery
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Background: Perinatal depression has been suggested to adversely impact child neurodevelopment. However, the complexity of the early childhood environment challenges conclusive findings.

Objective: To evaluate whether there is an association between perinatal depressive symptoms and child intelligence quotient (IQ) at 5 years of age.

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Background: The Chronic Hypertension and Pregnancy Study demonstrated that a target blood pressure of <140/90 mm Hg during pregnancy is associated with improved perinatal outcomes. Outside of pregnancy, pharmacologic therapy for patients with diabetes and hypertension is adjusted to a target blood pressure of <130/80 mm Hg. During pregnancy, patients with both diabetes and chronic hypertension may also benefit from tighter control with a target blood pressure <130/80 mm Hg.

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Objective: To compare differences in postpartum blood pressure (BP) control (BP below 140/90 mm Hg) for participants with hypertension randomized to receive antihypertensive treatment compared with no treatment during pregnancy.

Methods: This study was a planned secondary analysis of a multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial (The CHAP [Chronic Hypertension and Pregnancy] trial). Pregnant participants with mild chronic hypertension (BP below 160/105 mm Hg) were randomized into two groups: active (antihypertensive treatment) or control (no treatment unless severe hypertension, BP 160/105 mm Hg or higher).

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Objective:  This study aimed to compare maternal and neonatal outcomes between labor induction versus cesarean delivery (CD) without labor among nulliparous individuals with class III obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥40 kg/m).

Study Design:  A retrospective cohort study of all nulliparous singleton deliveries at ≥37 weeks with a BMI of ≥40 kg/m at delivery between March 2020 and February 2022. We excluded individuals with spontaneous labor, fetal malformations, and stillbirths.

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Conservative management of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) includes delivery of the fetus with retention of the placenta in situ. There are insufficient data evaluating the effect of leaving the placenta in situ with PAS on the ability to establish lactation. We performed a prospective cohort study of 126 patients diagnosed with PAS.

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Objective: To evaluate the risks of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with pregnancies complicated by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective cohort study of HCV infection in pregnancy. Participants were screened for HCV infection with serum antibody tests, and each participant with a positive HCV result (case group) was matched with up to two individuals with negative HCV results (control group) prospectively by gestational age (±2 weeks) at enrollment.

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Background: Hemorrhage associated with placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Estimating blood loss in these individuals is a critical component of comprehensive preoperative planning.

Objective: A semiquantitative score based on transvaginal ultrasound was developed and tested to predict PAS, estimate its severity, and blood loss in individuals with clinical and ultrasound evidence suggesting PAS.

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Objective:  This study aimed to determine whether administration of a late preterm (34-36 weeks) course of antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) is associated with improved short-term neonatal outcomes among pregnancies complicated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) who delivered in the late preterm period.

Study Design:  A single tertiary center retrospective cohort study, including pregnant individuals with singleton fetuses who delivered between 34.0 and 36.

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To examine the incidence of overt hypothyroidism 1 and 5 years after pregnancies where screening before 21 weeks identified subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) or hypothyroxinemia (HT). Secondary analysis of two multicenter treatment trials for either SH or HT diagnosed between 8 and 20 weeks gestation. Current analyses focus only on individuals randomized to the placebo groups in the two parallel studies.

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Objective: To investigate the optimal gestational age to deliver pregnant people with chronic hypertension to improve perinatal outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a planned secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial of chronic hypertension treatment to different blood pressure goals. Participants with term, singleton gestations were included.

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Background: In the United States, leading medical societies recommend 81 mg of aspirin daily for the prevention of preeclampsia in women at risk, whereas the NICE guidelines in the United Kingdom recommend a dose as high as 150 mg of aspirin. Recent data also suggest that in the obese population, inadequate dosing or aspirin resistance may impact the efficacy of aspirin at the currently recommended doses.

Objective: We evaluated whether daily administration of 162 mg aspirin would be more effective compared with 81 mg in decreasing the rate of preeclampsia with severe features in high-risk obese pregnant individuals.

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