Fetoplacental unit involvement in uric acid production in women with severe preeclampsia: a prospective case control pilot study.

Purpose: Preeclampsia (PE) is a common complication of pregnancy that carries significant risks for both the mother and the fetus, and is frequently accompanied by hyperuricemia, yet the exact source of elevated uric acid (UA) levels remains partially elucidated. Several potential origins for increased UA levels include abnormal renal function, increased tissue breakdown, and increased activity of the enzyme Xanthine Oxidase (XO). The aim of the study was to determine serum levels of UA and XO not only in maternal serum, but also in umbilical vein (UV) and umbilical artery (UA) and explore their possible role in PE development.

Intra-obturator bupivacaine injection and post-operative pain following the trans-obturator tension-free vaginal tape procedure: randomized study.

Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of a long-acting anesthetic injection into the obturator membrane for pain relief in women undergoing trans-obturator tension-free vaginal tape.

Methods: A total of 22 women were randomized for the intra-operative injection of bupivacaine into one of their obturator membranes: the left or right side. All the participants were asked to define their groin pain on a visual analog scale (scored 0-10 cm) at 1, 6, 12, and 24 h post-operative.

Fetal Inguinal Hernia: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Fetal inguinal hernia (FIH) is a rare event and only few cases were published in the medical literature. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the sonographic features, clinical presentation, management, outcomes, and differential diagnoses of FIH. Accordingly, we reviewed all 17 cases of FIH published in the medical literature, including one new case evaluated by our group.

Amniotic fluid rubidium concentration association with newborn birthweight: a maternal-neonatal pilot study.

Background: Although most biological systems, including human tissues, contain rubidium, its biogeochemical functions and possible role in neonatal birthweight are largely unknown. An animal study indicated a correlation between rubidium deficiency in the maternal diet and lower newborn birthweight.

Objective: This pilot study measured rubidium concentrations in amniotic fluid during the second trimester of (low-risk) pregnancy and investigated potential correlations between rubidium levels and third-trimester newborn birthweight-small for gestational age, appropriate for gestational age, and large for gestational age-and between preterm birth and term birth in uncomplicated pregnancies.

Does Iodine Intake Modify the Effect of Maternal Dysglycemia on Birth Weight in Mild-to-Moderate Iodine-Deficient Populations? A Mother-Newborn Prospective Cohort Study.

It is unclear how maternal glycemic status and maternal iodine status influence birth weight among individuals with mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency (ID). We studied the association between birth weight and both maternal glucose levels and iodine intake among pregnant women with mild-to-moderate ID. Glucose values were assessed using a glucose challenge test (GCT) and non-fasting glucose levels that were determined before delivery; individuals' iodine statuses were assessed using an iodine food frequency questionnaire; and serum thyroglobulin (Tg) and urinary iodine concentrations (UIC) were used to assess each group's iodine status.

Can Mild-to-Moderate Iodine Deficiency during Pregnancy Alter Thyroid Function? Lessons from a Mother-Newborn Cohort.

Severe iodine deficiency during pregnancy has substantial hormonal consequences, such as fetal brain damage. Data on the potential effects of mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency on the thyroid function of pregnant women and their newborns are scarce and divergent. We investigated the association between iodine intake in pregnancy and maternal and neonatal thyroid function in a region with mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency.

The Relation between Head Circumference and Mid-Pelvic Circumference: A Simple Index for Cephalopelvic Disproportion Evaluation.

Introduction: Cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD) is one of the most common obstetric complications. Since CPD is the disproportion between the fetal head and maternal bony pelvis, evaluation of the head circumference (HC) relative to the maternal bony pelvis may be a useful adjunct to pre-labor CPD evaluation. The aim of the present study was a proof-of-concept evaluation of the ratio between HC and pelvic circumference (PC) as a predictor of CPD.

Maternal iodine deficiency: a newborns' overweight risk factor? A prospective study.

Objectives: Childhood obesity and iodine deficiency are global public health concerns. Whether maternal iodine status mediates overweight in infancy has yet to be explored. We aimed to assess the relationship between maternal iodine status and infant birth weight, including small and large for gestational age (SGA and LGA, respectively).

Effects of nifedipine on endothelial function, assessed by flow-mediated vasodilatation in pregnant patients.

Objectives: To evaluate the endothelial function, through flow-mediated vasodilation parameters from brachial artery test in women receiving nifedipine for acute tocolysis with threatened preterm delivery.

Methods: In a prospective study in a university-affiliated hospital, each participant served as herself control. We evaluated various parameters of endothelial function in 22 patients between 27 and 33 weeks of gestation with a diagnosis of threatened preterm delivery (TPTD) before and after 48 h of nifedipine treatment.

Low intake of iodized salt and iodine containing supplements among pregnant women with apparently insufficient iodine status - time to change policy?

Background: Iodine is an essential nutrient for human health throughout the life cycle, especially during early stages of intrauterine life and infancy, to ensure adequate neurocognitive development. The growing global reliance on desalinated iodine-diluted water raises the specter of increased iodine deficiency in several regions. The case of Israel may be instructive for exploring the link between iodine status and habitual iodine intake in the setting of extensive national reliance on desalinated water.

Routine ultrasonographic and hysteroscopic evaluations of women undergoing postpartum manual removal of placenta: a retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the rates of retained products of conception (RPOC) after routine postpartum evaluation of patients who underwent post-delivery manual uterine revision due to retained placenta.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of 599 consecutive women who underwent manual removal of placenta during 2010-2018. Group A comprised 465 women who underwent postpartum symptom-based evaluation (2010-2016).

Local cerebroplacental ratio reference ranges are better predictors for adverse delivery outcomes in normal weight fetuses during pregnancy.

Objective: To evaluate the predictive value of local versus external cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) reference ranges for delivery outcomes in low-risk pregnancies.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of all feto-maternal demographic and biometric data in fetuses with normal estimated fetal weight (EFW) and a CPR examination between the years 2014-2019, in a university medical center. The study group included healthy singleton pregnancies from 32-week gestation, with an examination-to-delivery interval of <31 days.

Third-trimester Reference Ranges for Cerebroplacental Ratio and Pulsatility Index for Middle Cerebral Artery and Umbilical Artery in Normal-growth Singleton Fetuses in the Israeli Population.

Background: The ratio between the fetal umbilical artery pulsatility index (UA-PI) and the middle cerebral artery pulsatility index (MCA-PI) is termed the cerebroplacental ratio (CPR). The CPR represents fetal blood flow redistribution at the early stages of placental insufficiency; moreover, it has predictive value for adverse intrapartum and neonatal outcomes. However, internationally accepted reference ranges for CPR are lacking.

Sentinel Nodes Detection with Near-infrared Imaging in Gynecological Cancer Patients: Ushering in an Era of Precision Medicine.

Background: The sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy procedure is a well-known method for identifying solid tumors such as breast cancer, vulvar cancer, and melanoma. In endometrial and cervical cancer, SLN has recently gained acceptance.

Objectives: To evaluate the detection rate of SLN with an indocyanine green and near-infrared fluorescent imaging (ICG/NIR) integrated laparoscopic system in clinically uterine-confined endometrial or cervical cancer.

Impact on pregnancy outcomes of exposure to military stress during the first or second trimester as compared with the third trimester.

Objective: To compare pregnancy outcomes after exposure to military stress in different trimesters of pregnancy.

Methods: A retrospective study of medical records of deliveries in the Wolfson (WMC) and Barzilai (BMC) medical centers in Israel between July 2014 and April 2015. All parturients were exposed to military stress for 51 days during pregnancy.

Barbed Versus Conventional Suture for Uterine Repair During Caesarean Section: A Randomized Controlled Study.

Objective: This study sought to compare the short-term outcome of uterine incision repair during a Caesarean section (CS) using a bidirectional knotless barbed suture versus polyglactin suture.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at a university hospital. Participants undergoing a CS were randomly assigned to uterine incision closure by bidirectional knotless barbed suture (group A) or polyglactin (group B).

U-turn of uterine arteries: a novel sign pathognomonic of uterine inversion.

A uterine inversion occurs when the uterine fundus collapses into the endometrial cavity. It is a rare complication in obstetrics following delivery, and it is even more infrequently encountered in gynecology with the non-puerperal uterus. A submucous fibroid is the most common reported cause of the non-puerperal uterine inversion.

Is umbilical vein varix associated with changes in cerebroplacental ratio?

We aimed to review a single-center experience in follow-up and management of fetuses with umbilical vein varix (UVV) and to assess the effect of UVV on fetal Doppler parameters. We reviewed retrospectively maternal antenatal records, delivery records, and newborn records to identify cases of UVV. Further, we retrospectively compared 25 fetuses with isolated UVV and available cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) analysis with 75 matched controls.

Safety of nifedipine in threatened preterm labor: Investigation by three-dimensional echocardiography.

Objective: To evaluate atrial and ventricular parameters using real time three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (RT3DTTE) in women treated with nifedipine in the early third trimester (III-T) of pregnancy.

Methods: A prospective single-subject design study in a university-affiliated hospital, where each participant served as her own control. We studied 25 pregnant women at a gestational age of 25-33 weeks with TPTL prior to vs 48 hours postnifedipine treatment.

Is intrauterine device a risk factor for failure of conservative management in patients with tubo-ovarian abscess? An observational retrospective study.

Purpose: Tubo-ovarian abscess (TOA) is a serious and potentially life-threatening complication of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). TOA formation may be an uncommon, but serious complication associated with the use of an intrauterine device (IUD). While the majority of TOA respond to antibiotic therapy, in approximately 25% of cases surgery or drainage is indicated.

Quantifying the effects of postcesarean adhesions on incision to delivery time.

Objective: To quantify the effects of postcesarean section adhesions severity on the incision to delivery time.

Methods: Secondary analysis of data of a prospective randomized controlled trial of women undergoing first repeat cesarean section. The presence and severity of adhesions were reported by surgeons postoperatively and accrued into an adhesion severity score.

Septic Shock and Multiple Organ Failure After Office Endometrial Sampling.

BACKGROUND: Office endometrial biopsy with a Pipelle cannula is the main method for sampling the endometrial lining. The Pipelle biopsy is safe, efficient, and cost effective. This office endometrial sampling method is also an accurate and safe procedure for endometrial sampling of patients with endometrial carcinoma.

Laparoscopic Management of an Invasive Mole Perforating the Uterus.

Study Objective: To show the possibility of conservative laparoscopic management in a case of invasive mole perforating the uterus.

Design: Video with explanations.

Setting: An invasive mole is a potentially life-threatening complication of gestational trophoblastic disease [1].