Transfusion-related adverse events are decreased in pregnant women with sickle cell disease by a change in policy from systematic transfusion to prophylactic oxygen therapy at home: A retrospective survey by the international sickle cell disease observatory.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) in pregnancy can be associated with adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. Furthermore, complications of SCD can be aggravated by pregnancy. Optimal prenatal care aims to decrease the occurrence of maternal and fetal complications.

Neonatal morbidity associated with vaginal delivery of noncephalic second twins.

Background: Management of noncephalic second twin delivery rests on the results of population-based retrospective studies of twin births that have shown higher neonatal mortality and morbidity for second twins with noncephalic, compared with cephalic, presentations after vaginal delivery of the first twin. Because these studies are flawed by data of questionable validity, do not report the obstetrical practices at delivery, and do not allow collection of potential confounding variables, we performed a national prospective study specially designed to evaluate the management of twins' delivery.

Objective: We sought to assess neonatal mortality and morbidity according to second twin presentation after vaginal birth of the first twin.

Clinical course and outcome of antenatally detected atrioventricular block: experience of a single tertiary centre and review of the literature.

Objective: The objective is to study the course and outcome of fetuses with congenital atrioventricular block (AVB) in a single centre.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of cases diagnosed prenatally with second and third degree AVB. The clinical characteristics and outcome of fetal AVB were evaluated including in utero treatment.

Fetal death as a result of placental immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome.

A 26-year-old woman was HIV-1 diagnosed at 11 weeks of pregnancy (CD4 = 7/mm(3), HIV-1 RNA = 108,000 copies/mL) with immunity against toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma IgG = 1800 UI/mL). A fetal death was diagnosed 7 weeks after starting HAART (CD4 = 185/mm(3), HIV-1 RNA = 391 copies/mL) with a positive Toxoplasma PCR on fetal tissues and amniotic fluid. The absence of severe toxoplasmic foetopathy, the very exaggerated and atypical placental inflammation and the immune restoration context led to the diagnosis of placental IRIS associated with Toxoplasma gondii reactivation.

Very early twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome and discordant activation of the renin-angiotensin system.

We present evidence of a first-trimester discordant renin-angiotensin system (RAS) response and structural abnormalities of the kidneys in twins with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). A dark red fetus and a pale fetus were spontaneously delivered at 13.5 weeks of gestation following a double intra-uterine death.