Publications by authors named "Chika Homma"
Objective: To clarify whether the duration from cervical ripening induction to labor onset is prolonged when epidural analgesia is administered following application of dinoprostone vaginal inserts vs. cervical ripening balloon.
Methods: This retrospective study included mothers with singleton deliveries at a single center between 2020-2021.
Objective: To investigate the predictive value of obstetric findings when using dinoprostone (prostaglandin E2 [PGE2]) vaginal inserts for cervical ripening, and to assess the optimal cervical-ripening method between PGE2 vaginal insert and/or cervical dilators.
Methods: This prospective observational study enrolled pregnant women who underwent cervical ripening for labor induction in 37-41 week' gestation in 2020. In evaluation 1, optimal obstetric findings predictive of rapid cervical ripening using PGE2 were assessed.
Article Synopsis
- The study presents a management protocol for women diagnosed with vasa previa (VP) during pregnancy, detailing its effects on maternal and neonatal outcomes.
- It analyzed 14 cases of VP from a total of 5,150 deliveries between 2014 and 2021, finding that a significant portion of these cases were referred due to complications.
- Results indicate that tailored management, including scheduled cesarean sections, can lead to positive outcomes; however, more intensive care is recommended for symptomatic patients or those at risk for premature delivery.
Introduction: To clarify whether the declaration of an emergency state due to the spread of COVID-19 in Japan affected the number of maternal transports and premature births.
Methods: A questionnaire-based descriptive study was conducted in perinatal centers throughout Japan in 2020. The incidence of maternal transport and preterm delivery rates every month after the COVID-19 spread in 2020 were compared with those in 2019.
Objective: To demonstrate ultrasound pathological findings of placental abruption (PA) detected using a new Doppler method: superb microvascular imaging (SMI).
Case Report: The patient was a pregnant woman with dark brown vaginal discharge at 32 + 4 weeks of gestation. Conventional ultrasound revealed an exophytic heterogeneous area measuring 3 cm, between the placenta and myometrium.
As placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) pathologies affect only the extremely thin tissues between the placenta and the uterine myometrium, superficial endometrial damage such as that caused by placenta creta and increta can be diagnosed only through histopathology. We performed direct uterine ultrasound of PAS using an ultrahigh frequency (33 MHz; i33LX9 Aplio i800) linear transducer. Here, we describe two cases with ultrasound images of placentas with PAS and a case without PAS to compare histological findings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe experienced a case with fetal hydrops, polyhydramnios, and a well-defined oval anechoic lesion of approximately 9 cm in size, without blood flow at 26 weeks' gestation. As increased middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity, the fetal hydrops was caused by a placental tumor such as a chorioangioma; however, the tumor was atypical. Fetal blood hemoglobin was 8.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a five-level classification of fetal heart rate (FHR) to predict neonatal distress using guidelines from the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG).
- - Conducted between 2013-2015, it involved vertex singleton pregnancies delivered after 37 weeks, dividing participants into control (levels 1-3) and case (levels 4-5) groups to assess neonatal distress outcomes, finding a 6.8% prevalence among cases.
- - Results showed that while the classification scheme had high specificity and negative-predictive value, certain obstetric conditions affected the prediction accuracy, indicating that FHR findings might not always correlate with actual neonatal outcomes. *
Novel ultrasound assessment of placental pathological function using superb microvascular imaging.
J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med
August 2022
Ultrasound Doppler method of Superb Microvascular Imaging (SMI) can significantly visualize low-velocity blood flow using a unique algorithm. We scanned placenta antenatally using SMI and compared those findings with histological findings after delivery in cases with placental abnormalities. In normal, SMI expresses stem villous vessels connecting to the tertiary villous vessels which are sharply diminished, and expresses intervillous blood flow as "scatter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: This study aimed to clarify ultrasound screening and management for vasa previa (VP) in perinatal centers and primary facilities in Japan.
Methods: A questionnaire survey about antepartum ultrasound screening and management for VP was delivered in 2018. Questions were sent by email or post to perinatal centers and randomly selected primary hospitals or clinics throughout Japan.