Choosing for a Homebirth during COVID-19 Lockdown in The Netherlands, who and why: A national prospective questionnaire study.

Objective: During the first COVID-19 lockdown in the Netherlands (9 March-1 June 2020), the homebirth rate increased from 27 % to 37 % among women with low-risk pregnancies starting labour in primary midwife-led care (overall population: 15 % in 2020). We explored characteristics and motivations of women who change their preference from a hospital birth to a home birth.

Design: A nationwide prospective online questionnaire.

Pessary or cerclage (PC study) to prevent recurrent preterm birth: a non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Previous spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) is a strong risk indicator for recurrent preterm birth (PTB). Cervical cerclage is an accepted intervention to prevent recurrent PTB in high risk patients. Cervical pessary might be a less invasive alternative.

Preterm birth recurrence after spontaneous preterm birth between 16-28 weeks: A national cohort study.

Objective: To assess the risk of recurrent preterm birth following spontaneous extreme preterm birth between 16 - 27 weeks.

Methods: A nationwide retrospective cohort study was conducted with data from the Perinatal Registry of the Netherlands. We included nulliparous women with a singleton pregnancy that ended in spontaneous preterm birth between 16 and 27 weeks of gestation without congenital anomalies or antenatal death between 2010-2014 and had a subsequent pregnancy in the 5 years following (2010-2019).

The impact of cut-off values on the prevalence of short cervical length in pregnancy.

Background: A prior study suggested that implementing a cut-off value of ≤30 mm for a short cervical length (CL) could potentially introduce selection bias and alter the distribution of CL measurements. As such, the objective of this study is to evaluate how CL distribution and incidence of short CL are affected when using different cut-off values for a short CL.

Study Design: This is a secondary analysis of the Quadruple P (QP) Screening study; a prospective cohort study that included low-risk patients with singleton pregnancies undergoing fetal anomaly scan at 18-22 weeks of gestation, including a CL measurement.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Urine Dipsticks for Urinary Tract Infection Diagnosis during Pregnancy: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) represent the most prevalent infections among pregnant women. Many pregnant women experience frequent voiding or lower abdominal pain during pregnancy due to physiologic changes. Due to the possible consequences of a UTI in pregnancy, pregnant women are more often tested for UTIs.

Cervical pessary versus vaginal progesterone in women with a singleton pregnancy, a short cervix, and no history of spontaneous preterm birth at less than 34 weeks' gestation: open label, multicentre, randomised, controlled trial.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of cervical pessary and vaginal progesterone in the prevention of adverse perinatal outcomes and preterm birth in pregnant women of singletons with no prior spontaneous preterm birth at less than 34 weeks' gestation and who have a short cervix of 35 mm or less.

Design: Open label, multicentre, randomised, controlled trial.

Setting: 20 hospitals and five obstetric ultrasound practices in the Netherlands.

Changes in the Prevalence of Infection in Pregnant Women during the COVID-19 Lockdown.

Background: During the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, strict mitigation measures and national lockdowns were implemented. Our objective was to investigate to what extent the prevalence of some infections in pregnancy was altered during different periods of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This was a single centre retrospective cohort study conducted in the Netherlands on data collected from electronic patient files of pregnant women from January 2017 to February 2021.

Perioperative complications of a transvaginal cervical cerclage in singleton pregnancies: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Given that many studies report on a limited spectrum of adverse events of transvaginal cervical cerclage for preventing preterm birth, but are not powered to draw conclusions about its safety, the objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review with pooled risk analyses of perioperative complications and compare characteristics on the basis of indication for cerclage in singleton pregnancies.

Data Sources: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and the prospective trial registers ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched from inception to April 2020.

Diagnostic work-up of urinary tract infections in pregnancy: study protocol of a prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Symptoms of urinary tract infections in pregnant women are often less specific, in contrast to non-pregnant women where typical clinical symptoms of a urinary tract infection are sufficient to diagnose urinary tract infections. Moreover, symptoms of a urinary tract infection can mimic pregnancy-related symptoms, or symptoms of a threatened preterm birth, such as contractions. In order to diagnose or rule out a urinary tract infection, additional diagnostic testing is required.

The Risk of Preterm Birth in Low Risk Pregnant Women with Urinary Tract Infections.

Objective: Urinary tract infections are among the most common infections during pregnancy. The association between symptomatic lower urinary tract infections during pregnancy and fetal and maternal complications such as preterm birth and low birthweight remains unclear. The aim of this research is to evaluate the association between urinary tract infections during pregnancy and maternal and neonatal outcomes, especially preterm birth.

Differences in clinical practice regarding screening and treatment of infections associated with spontaneous preterm birth: An international survey.

Objective: An association between infections in pregnancy and increased risk of preterm birth (PTB) is described in the literature. We anticipated that differences may exist in screening and treatment approaches for infections associated with PTB, within and between European countries. The aim of this study was to examine and analyse these differences in clinical practice in greater detail.

Risk Indicators for Urinary Tract Infections in Low Risk Pregnancy and the Subsequent Risk of Preterm Birth.

Symptomatic urinary tract infections are associated with preterm birth. However, data on risk indicators for urinary tract infections are limited and outdated. The research is a secondary analysis.

Maternal, perinatal and childhood outcomes of the PPROMEXIL-III cohort: Pregnancies complicated by previable prelabor rupture of membranes.

Objective: Perinatal mortality after previable prelabor rupture of membranes (previable PROM) might be underestimated as most studies exclude patients with poor prognosis, or solely include patients in tertiary-care centers. We aimed to report perinatal, neonatal and long-term outcomes in a consecutive series of women with pregnancies complicated by previable PROM.

Study Design: We conducted a prospective cohort study including women with singleton pregnancies and previable PROM ≤ 23 weeks gestational age (GA) from one tertiary hospital and eight affiliated secondary hospitals in the region of Amsterdam, the Netherlands (June 2012 until January 2016, PPROMEXIL-III cohort).

Ethnic differences in the impact of male fetal gender on the risk of spontaneous preterm birth.

Objective: To study the impact of fetal gender on the risk of spontaneous preterm birth in various ethnicities.

Study Design: National cohort study in which all singleton live births from 25 weeks onwards without congenital anomalies were included of African, Asian, and Mediterranean women (1999-2010). Our primary outcome measure was preterm birth before 37 weeks.

The association between depressive symptoms during pregnancy and post-delivery fear of childbirth; a prospective study.

Background: Fear of childbirth is an important reason for a caesarean section on request.

Objective: To assess the association between depressive symptoms during pregnancy and post-delivery fear of childbirth (PFOC).

Methods: We prospectively studied pregnant women from two hospitals in the Netherlands.

The association between parity and spontaneous preterm birth: a population based study.

Background: Preterm birth is the leading cause of perinatal mortality and neonatal morbidity worldwide. Many factors have been associated with preterm birth, including parity. The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between parity and risk of spontaneous preterm birth.

Is asymptomatic bacteriuria associated with short cervical length in women with a singleton pregnancy, a secondary analysis of two national cohort studies with small embedded randomized controlled trials.

Objective: To assess the association between asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) and short cervical length (CL), since they are both associated with preterm delivery.

Study Design: In two prospective multicentre cohort studies, pregnant women were screened for the presence of ASB and short CL (≤25 mm). We compared CL in women with and without ASB.

Trends in preterm birth in singleton and multiple gestations in the Netherlands 2008-2015: A population-based study.

Objective: Preterm birth is the most important cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Over the past years several preventive measures have been studied and implemented. Preterm birth percentage in 2015 in the Netherlands was 6.

Risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes of late- and postterm pregnancies in advanced maternal age: A national cohort study.

Introduction: There is an increase in women delivering ≥35 years of age. We analyzed the association between advanced maternal age and pregnancy outcomes in late- and postterm pregnancies.

Material And Methods: A national cohort study was performed on obstetrical low-risk women using data from the Netherlands Perinatal Registry from 1999 to 2010.

The predictive capacity of uterine artery Doppler for preterm birth-A cohort study.

Introduction: Mid-trimester uterine artery resistance measured with Doppler sonography is predictive for iatrogenic preterm birth. In view of the emerging association between hypertensive disease in pregnancy and spontaneous preterm birth, we hypothesized that uterine artery resistance could also predict spontaneous preterm birth.

Material And Methods: We performed a cohort study of women with singleton pregnancies.

Association between fetal sex, birthweight percentile and adverse pregnancy outcome.

Introduction: The objective was to evaluate the association between fetal sex and adverse pregnancy outcome, while correcting for fetal growth and gestational age at delivery.

Material And Methods: Data from the Netherlands Perinatal Registry (1999-2010) were used. The study population comprised all white European women with a singleton delivery between 25 and 42  weeks of gestation.

Incidence and recurrence rate of postpartum hemorrhage and manual removal of the placenta: A longitudinal linked national cohort study in The Netherlands.

Objective: We studied the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage and manual removal of the placenta and their recurrence rate in a subsequent pregnancy. We hypothesized that the risk of recurrence was dependent on the gestational age at first birth and whether or not a manual removal of the placenta was necessary. Knowledge on this subject can potentially improve counselling, prevention and management in obstetric care for women at risk for PPH or identify women at low risk for recurrence.