Publications by authors named "Calda P"

Article Synopsis
  • Spontaneous preterm labor is linked to the maternal immune system's failure to tolerate the fetus, often characterized by a chronic inflammatory response, particularly involving regulatory T cells.
  • The study examined 43 women in early pregnancy to see if the levels of specific regulatory T cell subpopulations could predict premature labor.
  • Results showed that women who experienced preterm labor had significantly lower levels of all analyzed regulatory T cell subpopulations compared to those who delivered at term, suggesting a potential immune imbalance contributing to preterm outcomes.
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Introduction: This study aimed to validate the Sargent risk stratification algorithm for the prediction of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) severity using data collected from multiple centers and using the multicenter data to improve the model.

Material And Methods: We conducted a multicenter analysis using data collected for the IS-PAS database. The Sargent model's effectiveness in distinguishing between abnormally adherent placenta (FIGO grade 1) and abnormally invasive placenta (FIGO grades 2 and 3) was evaluated.

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Herlyn-Werner-Wunderlich syndrome is an unusual congenital anomaly defined by a triad of congenital defects of the female urogenital tract - homolateral renal agenesis, uterus duplex and obstructed hemi-hematometrocolpos whose etiology remains still unclear. Pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea and palpable mass due to the hematocolpos or hematometra are the most common clinical symptoms. Endometriosis is considered to be a prevalent finding in these young patients possibly explaining the pathophysiological mechanism of endometriosis as the result of retrograde menstruation.

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Non-invasive prenatal tests for the detection of fetal aneuploidies are predominantly based on the analysis of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from the plasma of pregnant women by next-generation sequencing. The development of alternative tests for routine genetic laboratories is therefore desirable. Multiplex digital droplet PCR was used to detect 16 amplicons from chromosome 21 and 16 amplicons from chromosome 18 as the reference.

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Unlabelled: Umbilical cord drainage involves releasing the cord clam from the umbilical cord after separation of the newborn from the maternal end of the umbilical cord. Consequently, there is emptying of blood from the placenta. This procedure is part of the active management of the third stage of labor (TSL).

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Introduction: Our study (part of multicentric "MindCOVID") investigates risk factors for anxiety and depression among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic.

Material And Methods: The study used a prospective cross-sectional design. Data was collected using an online self-administered questionnaire.

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Elevated levels of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) and disgust sensitivity have been observed in the first trimester and both are thought to have a protective function for the mother and her fetus. Their aetiology is not clear, however, with previous studies attributing elevated NVP and disgust to various factors including endocrine changes, immunological changes, and psychological variables. To date, no study has directly assessed the relationship between disgust and NVP.

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Introduction: Considered a part of the behavioral immune system (BIS), disgust sensitivity is expected to be adjusting as a response to the actual level of the environmental health risks.

Methods: In this preregistered study, we tested the hypothesis that disgust sensitivity would be higher during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period in pregnant women. In this between-subject study with a longitudinal trend design, we administered the Disgust Scale-Revised to 200 pregnant women before the pandemic and to 350 pregnant women during the pandemic.

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Covid-19, caused by severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is currently a pandemic. Although this infection primarily presents with respiratory symptoms, the number of reported extrapulmonary manifestations, including dermatological, is also increasing. A group of pregnant women is particularly susceptible to respiratory diseases, but with regard to covid-19, there is still limited data on the course of infection in pregnancy in relation to the possibility of vertical transmission.

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Objective: To assess risk factors for anxiety and depression among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic using Mind-COVID, a prospective cross-sectional study that compares outcomes in middle-income economies and high-income economies.

Methods: A total of 7102 pregnant women from 12 high-income economies and nine middle-income economies were included. The web-based survey used two standardized instruments, General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).

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Introduction: Following the detection of fetal growth restriction, there is no consensus about the criteria that should trigger delivery in the late preterm period. The consequences of inappropriate early or late delivery are potentially important yet practice varies widely around the world, with abnormal findings from fetal heart rate monitoring invariably leading to delivery. Indices derived from fetal cerebral Doppler examination may guide such decisions although there are few studies in this area.

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Article Synopsis
  • - A prenatal ultrasound at 30 weeks identified a giant neck hemangioma in a fetus, leading to the postnatal condition known as Kasabach-Merritt syndrome.
  • - The ultrasound showed a large mass that affected various parts of the neck and mouth, including the nasopharyngeal cavity, tongue, lower lip, and mandible.
  • - Advanced imaging techniques, including 2D and 4D sonography, aided in providing effective counseling for the parents regarding the diagnosis and potential implications.
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Purpose:  To assess the longitudinal variation of the ratio of umbilical and cerebral artery pulsatility index (UCR) in late preterm fetal growth restriction (FGR).

Materials And Methods:  A prospective European multicenter observational study included women with a singleton pregnancy, 32-36, at risk of FGR (estimated fetal weight [EFW] or abdominal circumference [AC] < 10 percentile, abnormal arterial Doppler or fall in AC from 20-week scan of > 40 percentile points). The primary outcome was a composite of abnormal condition at birth or major neonatal morbidity.

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Article Synopsis
  • The congruency hypothesis suggests that women’s satisfaction in relationships could depend on whether their current contraceptive use matches their use during the relationship's beginning, as hormonal changes may affect attraction.
  • Some findings align with this hypothesis, showing women using oral contraceptives (OC) during relationship formation report higher sexual satisfaction, while other studies did not show consistent patterns.
  • In our study involving pregnant women and couples at a fertility clinic, we found mixed results for the congruency hypothesis and recommend more detailed future research designs to explore these dynamics further.
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Almost 10 years ago, clinicians at multiple locations all over Europe observed an increased number of antenatally undiagnosed cases of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) resulting in significant morbidity and the occasional maternal death. Even with an improvement in antenatal imaging, the management of severe PAS remains challenging. One solution to improve understanding in rare but potentially lethal conditions is international collaboration.

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Introduction: In cases of placenta accreta spectrum, a precise antenatal diagnosis of the suspected degree of invasion is essential for the planning of individual management strategies at delivery. The aim of this work was to evaluate the respective performances of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging for the antenatal assessment of the severity of placenta accreta spectrum disorders included in the database. The secondary objective was to identify descriptors related to the severity of placenta accreta spectrum disorders.

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Background And Objectives: The aim of the study was to optimize routine non-invasive prenatal detection of fetal RHD gene from plasma of RhD-negative pregnant women (the median of gestational age was 25 weeks, range 10-38) to detect RhD materno-fetal incompatibility and to avoid the redundant immunoprophylaxis.

Materials And Methods: Initially only one exon of RHD gene (exon 10) was investigated in 281 plasma samples (144 verified after delivery), in the second phase three RHD exons (5, 7, 10) were analyzed in 246 samples of plasma and maternal genomic DNA (204 verified) by real-time PCR method. Detection of Y-chromosomal sequence DYS-14 and five X-chromosomal insertion/deletion polymorphisms was used to confirm the fetal cfDNA detectability in plasma.

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Background: About a third of people in the world are infected with Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite has been found in the reproductive organs and semen of males of many animal species as well as humans. The effects of toxoplasmosis on sperm count, motility and morphology were confirmed in rats.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess the results of chromosomal abnormality screening in a population with high first-trimester screening but low cell-free DNA testing rates.
  • Data was collected from the National Registry of Congenital Anomalies in the Czech Republic, focusing on the rates of major autosomal trisomies and other chromosomal abnormalities during prenatal diagnostics from 2012 to 2016.
  • Findings indicated an increase in major autosomal trisomies diagnosed, while other chromosomal abnormalities decreased; there was also a significant reduction in invasive testing procedures over the years.
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Toxoplasmosis is one of the most widespread human parasitoses in developed countries. Sexual transmission has been confirmed in several animal species, and indirect evidence suggests it may occur in humans. We compared the seropositivity to Toxoplasma gondii in couples who visited the Center for Assisted Reproduction in Prague from June 2016 to June 2018 and analyzed various risk factors including the serological status of sexual partner.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study compared long-term health issues after elective versus emergency cesarean deliveries in 200 women.
  • It found that 29% had emergency CD and 71% had elective, with severe scar defects detected more frequently in the emergency group at both 6 weeks and 18 months post-delivery.
  • Severe scar defects were linked to a higher risk of complications such as adhesions, pelvic pain, and dysmenorrhea, with detection rates differing significantly between the two types of cesarean delivery.
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Objectives: To explore the association between fetal umbilical and middle cerebral artery (MCA) Doppler abnormalities and outcome in late preterm pregnancies at risk of fetal growth restriction.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of singleton pregnancies at risk of fetal growth restriction at 32 + 0 to 36 + 6 weeks of gestation, enrolled in 33 European centers between 2017 and 2018, in which umbilical and fetal MCA Doppler velocimetry was performed. Pregnancies were considered at risk of fetal growth restriction if they had estimated fetal weight and/or abdominal circumference (AC) < 10 percentile, abnormal arterial Doppler and/or a fall in AC growth velocity of more than 40 percentile points from the 20-week scan.

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Article Synopsis
  • Down syndrome (DS) is a leading cause of intellectual disability, prompting research into effective prenatal detection methods, particularly focusing on plasma microRNAs (miRNAs).
  • This study analyzed 70 first-trimester plasma samples from pregnant women to evaluate the diagnostic potential of miRNAs, building on earlier findings that identified specific miRNAs in DS placentas.
  • Despite initial promising results from a pilot study, a larger validation study using a more sensitive technique found no significant differences in miRNA profiles between samples from DS and euploid fetuses, suggesting plasma miRNA testing may not be suitable for non-invasive prenatal testing at this stage.
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Article Synopsis
  • Previous research indicates that RhD positive heterozygotes experience better health outcomes compared to RhD positive homozygotes and RhD negative individuals, particularly in pregnant women.
  • The study aimed to evaluate whether RhD positive heterozygous mothers tend to have more male offspring, testing this using a cross-sectional analysis of data from over 5,600 women who gave birth between 2008 and 2012 in Prague.
  • Results showed a significantly higher male-to-female birth ratio in RhD positive mothers with RhD negative newborns (1.23) compared to those with RhD positive newborns (1.00), especially among first-time mothers.*
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The worldwide incidence of abnormally invasive placenta is rapidly rising, following the trend of increasing cesarean delivery. It is a heterogeneous condition and has a high maternal morbidity and mortality rate, presenting specific intrapartum challenges. Its rarity makes developing individual expertise difficult for the majority of clinicians.

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