Do prenatal depressive symptoms developed by hospitalized women with high-risk pregnancy persist to post-partum?

This study aims to explore the level of depressive symptoms during pregnancy and after childbirth comparing women hospitalized due to high-risk pregnancy (clinical group) and women with low-risk pregnancy (control group). Seventy pregnant women (26 clinical group and 44 control group) filled in the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale both during pregnancy and three months after childbirth. Results showed that the clinical group reported significant higher levels of prenatal depression than the control group, while no differences were found on postnatal depression.

Five actions for five people: emergency cesarean section protocol.

Objective: The scope of this work is to evaluate an operative protocol for emergency C-section to improve teamwork and reduce surgical setup time.

Methods: Sixty-six health care operators working together in the delivery ward (gynecologists, midwives, anesthesiologists) simulated an emergency scenario applying a "five actions for each operator" protocol. For each simulation, the decision to delivery interval was considered and the perception of each operator as a team worker was analyzed with specific tests.

The use of a novel sensorized simulation platform for real-time labor progression assessment.

Objective: To prove the potentialities of an integrated and sensorized childbirth platform as an innovative simulator for education of inexperienced gynecological and obstetrical medical students.

Methods: A total of 152 inexperienced medical students were recruited to a simulation program on labor progression evaluation. After an introductory lecture on basic concepts of labor and birth given by an expert gynecologist, three different gynecologic scenarios were simulated using both a traditional obstetric simulator and the innovative proposed platform, for a total of six tests for each student.

Simulation training program for vacuum application to improve technical skills in vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery.

Objective: evaluation of technical skills of the operators during the obstetrical device application for operative vaginal delivery, named kiwi-cup in a simulation training program.

Methods: Thirty-five residents in obstetrics and gynecology of the University of Pisa, Italy were recruited and evaluated with an assessment scale on technical skills from 0 to 55 points. They performed various operative vaginal delivery simulations with kiwi-cup and were evaluated at time 0 by a tutor.

Psychological factors and maternal-fetal attachment in relation to epidural choice.

Introduction: A woman's first childbirth is an event of great importance to her life, involving her transition to parenthood. Many studies have analyzed the roles of depression, anxiety and fear of childbirth linked to childbirth expectations and the consequent choice of an epidural to avoid pain. Few studies have investigated the predictor role of maternal-fetal attachment on the choice of epidural.

Pheochromocytoma diagnosed during pregnancy: a case report.

Pheochromocytoma is a rare catecholamine producing tumor. During pregnancy, this tumor can mimic gestational hypertension, preeclampsia or eclampsia. We present a case of a 38-year-old, multiparous woman admitted at 36 weeks of gestation due to hypertension.

Pregnancy after miscarriage in primiparae and multiparae: implications for women's psychological well-being.

: Miscarriage is a stressful life event with negative consequences that can last into the subsequent gestation, increasing women's risk for psychological symptoms. Less clear in literature is whether having a living child may buffer the psychological impact of miscarriage on subsequent pregnancies.: explore levels of depression, anxiety and fear of delivery in women with and without a previous miscarriage, taking into consideration the presence of a living child.

A feasibility study on non-invasive fetal ECG to evaluate prenatal autonomic nervous system activity.

Background: Maturity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is of paramount importance for fetal adaptation to extrauterine life and for early neurological development. Markers of ANS maturity, such as electrophysiological heart rate parameters, are of interest as tools to determine prenatal fetal maturity. The available technology, fetal magnetocardiography is expensive and not suitable for clinical use.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Post-partum Depression Risk Factors: The Role of Socio-Demographic, Individual, Relational, and Delivery Characteristics.

Postpartum depression is a common and complex phenomenon that can cause relevant negative outcomes for children, women and families. Existing literature highlights a wide range of risk factors. The main focus of this paper is to jointly investigate different types of risk factors (socio-demographic, psychopathological, relational, and related to labor and birth experience) in post-partum depression onset in women during first-child pregnancy, identifying which of these are the most important predictors.

Severe bowel incarceration in an eight-millimeter left-lateral trocar site after robot-assisted laparoscopic colposacropexy: A case report.

Over the last twenty years, robotic surgery has become an increasingly important form of surgical intervention. However, it can have complications. Trocar site hernia (TSH), also known as port site hernia (PSH), is an uncommon complication, but in the case of bowel incarceration or strangulation it can cause significant morbidity.

Simulation as tool for evaluating and improving technical skills in laparoscopic gynecological surgery.

Background: Simulation in laparoscopic surgery is nowadays recognized as a valid instrument for learning and training surgeons in different procedures. However, its role as evaluation test and self-assessment tool to verify basic surgical skills is still under discussion.

Methods: Thirty-three residents in obstetrics and gynecology at University of Pisa, Italy were recruited, and they received a simulation program consisting of 5 tasks.

Simulation of childbirth improves clinical management capacity and self-confidence in medical students.

The learning process of physiological mechanisms of childbirth and its management are important elements in the education of medical students. In this study, we verify how the use of a high-fidelity simulator of childbirth improves competence of students in this regard. A total of 132 medical students were recruited for the study in order to attend a physiological childbirth in a no-hospital environment after being assigned to two groups.

Effects of red clover extracts on breast cancer cell migration and invasion.

Postmenopausal hormone therapy is associated with increased incidence of breast cancer. For this reason alternative therapeutic options to treat menopausal symptoms have been developed. Red clover extracts (RCE) are rich in isoflavones, particularly genistein and daidzein and they have been proved to be effective in reducing vasomotor symptoms in a number of studies.