Publications by authors named "F R Witter"
Objectives: To examine the effect of maternal reverse-sequence (RS) syphilis screening on management of infants at risk for congenital syphilis (CS) using a standardized approach.
Study Design: A retrospective study from 2011 to 2014 at an academic medical center using RS testing, involving chemiluminescent immunoassay (CIA), rapid plasma reagin (RPR), and fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorption (FTA-ABS) assays for syphilis. Clinical management and outcomes of infants born to mothers with discordant (CIA+/RPR-/FTA+) serology were compared with national or internal guidelines.
Article Synopsis
- Streptococcus pseudoporcinus (S. pseudoporcinus) is a newly identified pathogen that can cause false-positive results in tests for Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) in pregnant women.
- A study found that S. pseudoporcinus colonization occurred in 1.6% of pregnancies and was linked to certain factors like African American race, tobacco use, and higher body mass index.
- Women colonized with S. pseudoporcinus had higher rates of complications such as preterm premature rupture of membranes and spontaneous preterm birth compared to those who were colonized with GBS.
Prior studies addressing associations between mercury and blood pressure have produced inconsistent findings; some of this may result from measuring total instead of speciated mercury. This cross-sectional study of 263 pregnant women assessed total mercury, speciated mercury, selenium, and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in umbilical cord blood and blood pressure during labor and delivery. Models with a) total mercury or b) methyl and inorganic mercury were evaluated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe investigated if prenatal exposures to tobacco smoke lead to changes in mitochondrial DNA content (mtDNA) in cord serum and adversely affect newborns' health. Umbilical cord serum cotinine levels were used to determine in utero exposure to smoking. Cord serum mtDNA was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of the genes coding for cytochrome c oxidase1 (MT-CO1) and cytochrome c oxidase2 (MT-CO2).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The best method of gestational age assessment is by ultrasound in the first trimester; however, this method is impractical in large field trials in rural areas. Our objective was to assess the validity of gestational age estimated from prospectively collected date of last menstrual period (LMP) using crown-rump length (CRL) measured in early pregnancy by ultrasound.
Methods: As part of a large, cluster-randomized, controlled trial in rural Bangladesh, we collected dates of LMP by recall and as marked on a calendar every 5 weeks in women likely to become pregnant.