The Impact of Dating Twin Pregnancy by the Larger, Smaller or Mean Twin Crown-Rump Length: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of twin dating by ultrasound-measured crown-rump length (CRL) of the larger (CRL-L), smaller (CRL-S) or mean twin measurement (CRL-M) on the rates of preterm birth (PTB) and detection of small for gestational age (SGA) births.

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Setting: A tertiary fetal medicine centre (London, UK).

The value of angiogenetic biomarkers in the detection of early onset fetal growth restriction.

Objective: The identification of fetal growth restriction (FGR) due to uteroplacental insufficiency is important to improve perinatal outcomes. To distinguish FGR from small for gestational age (SGA), FGR consensus definition is currently based on biometry and/or additional biophysical parameters. This study aims to verify if this definition might be modified by including circulating angiogenic factors.

Left Atrial Mechanics Following Preeclamptic Pregnancy.

Background: Preterm preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication associated with myocardial dysfunction and premature cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Left atrial (LA) strain is a noninvasive index of left ventricular end diastolic pressure and an early marker of heart failure risk. This study aimed to evaluate LA strain during the postpartum period in participants with and without preterm preeclampsia and to assess whether this varied in the presence of hypertension, cardiac dysfunction or both.

Impact of circular economy information on sensory acceptability, purchase intention and perceived value of upcycled foods by young consumers.

The acceptability of upcycled foods is influenced by individual, context and product-related factors. This study aimed at investigating the impact of circular economy (CE) information on consumers' sensory acceptability, purchase intention and perceived value of upcycled foods, taking into account eating behaviours and personality traits that could be related to the consumers' sustainable consumption habits. To this aim, a group of young subjects (n = 80, 18-35 years old) participated in a two-step study.

Angiogenic markers and maternal echocardiographic indices in women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Objective: The maternal cardiovascular system of women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) can be impaired, with higher rates of left ventricular (LV) remodeling and diastolic dysfunction compared to those with normotensive pregnancy. The primary objective of this prospective study was to correlate cardiac indices obtained by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and circulating angiogenic markers, such as soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PlGF).

Methods: In this study, 95 women with a pregnancy complicated by HDP and a group of 25 with an uncomplicated pregnancy at term underwent TTE and blood tests to measure sFlt-1 and PlGF during the peripartum period (before delivery or within a week of giving birth).

Myocardial Function in Fetuses with Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to investigate myocardial deformation of left (LV) and right ventricle (RV) using 2-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) in fetuses with and without congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection.

Methods: This was a prospective single-center study. Vertical transmission was defined by a positive CMV polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on the amniotic fluid or on the neonate's urine.

Pre-eclampsia and Cardiovascular Disease: From Pregnancy to Postpartum.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) complicate approximately 10% of pregnancies. In addition to multiorgan manifestations related to endothelial dysfunction, HDP confers an increased risk of cardiovascular disease during delivery hospitalisation, such as heart failure, pulmonary oedema, acute MI and cerebrovascular events. However, the cardiovascular legacy of HDP extends beyond birth since these women are significantly more likely to develop cardiovascular risk factors in the immediate postnatal period and major cardiovascular disease in the long term.

Postpartum cardiovascular function in patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: a longitudinal study.

Background: Women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, which are usually mediated by the development of cardiovascular risk factors, such as chronic hypertension, metabolic syndrome, or subclinical myocardial dysfunction. Increasing evidence has been showing that little time elapses between the end of pregnancy and the development of these cardiovascular risk factors.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the persistence of hypertension and myocardial dysfunction at 4 months postpartum in a cohort of women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and to compare the echocardiographic parameters between the peripartum and the postpartum period.

Pan-Genomic Regulation of Gene Expression in Normal and Pathological Human Placentas.

In this study, we attempted to find genetic variants affecting gene expression (eQTL = expression Quantitative Trait Loci) in the human placenta in normal and pathological situations. The analysis of gene expression in placental diseases (Pre-eclampsia and Intra-Uterine Growth Restriction) is hindered by the fact that diseased placental tissue samples are generally taken at earlier gestations compared to control samples. The difference in gestational age is considered a major confounding factor in the transcriptome regulation of the placenta.

Fetal cerebral ventriculomegaly: What do we tell the prospective parents?

Fetal cerebral ventriculomegaly is a relatively common finding, observed during approximately 1% of obstetric ultrasounds. In the second and third trimester, mild (≥10 mm) and severe ventriculomegaly (≥15 mm) are defined according to the measurement of distal lateral ventricles that is included in the routine sonographic examination of central nervous system. A detailed neurosonography and anatomy ultrasound should be performed to detect other associated anomalies in the central nervous system and in other systems, respectively.

Low-dose aspirin for the prevention of superimposed preeclampsia in women with chronic hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated whether the use of low-dose aspirin during pregnancy by women with chronic hypertension reduces the odds of superimposed preeclampsia and poor perinatal outcomes.

Data Sources: In September 2021, the following sources were searched: Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov, the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and EU Clinical Trials Register.

Peripartum Screening for Postpartum Hypertension in Women With Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy.

Background: Chronic hypertension (CHT) is the main risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP).

Objectives: This study sought to assess the effectiveness of peripartum screening in predicting CHT after HDP.

Methods: In this longitudinal prospective study, women with HDP underwent peripartum transthoracic echocardiography and were evaluated for CHT (blood pressure ≥140/90 mm Hg or on antihypertensive medication) at least 3 months postpartum.

Peripartum and Long-Term Maternal Cardiovascular Health After Preeclampsia.

There is widespread acceptance of the increased prevalence of cardiovascular diseases occurring within 1 to 2 decades in women following a preeclamptic pregnancy. More recent evidence suggests that the deranged biochemical and echocardiographic findings in women do not resolve in the majority of preeclamptic women following giving birth. Many women continue to be hypertensive in the immediate postnatal period with some exhibiting occult signs of cardiac dysfunction.

Antioxidants in Pregnancy: Do We Really Need More Trials?

Human pregnancy can be affected by numerous pathologies, from those which are mild and reversible to others which are life-threatening. Among these, gestational diabetes mellitus and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy with subsequent consequences stand out. Health problems experienced by women during pregnancy and postpartum are associated with significant costs to health systems worldwide and contribute largely to maternal mortality and morbidity.

Single extracellular vesicle analysis in human amniotic fluid shows evidence of phenotype alterations in preeclampsia.

Amniotic fluid surrounding the developing fetus is a complex biological fluid rich in metabolically active bio-factors. The presence of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in amniotic fluid has been mainly related to foetal urine. We here characterized EVs from term amniotic fluid in terms of surface marker expression using different orthogonal techniques.

The Role of the Multidisciplinary Health Care Team in the Management of Patients with Systemic Sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare connective tissue disease characterised by immune dysfunction, vascular damage and fibrosis affecting the skin and multiple internal organs. The clinical spectrum of SSc is wide and its manifestations may lead to severe morbidity and mortality, in addition to a great impact on patients' quality of life. Due to the multifaceted clinical manifestations of SSc, its management requires a combined expertise of different medical specialists to guarantee an adequate disease control and prevent organ complications.

Routine first-trimester pre-eclampsia screening and risk of preterm birth.

Objectives: Preterm birth (PTB) is a major public health problem worldwide. It can occur spontaneously or be medically indicated for obstetric complications, such as pre-eclampsia (PE) or fetal growth restriction. The main objective of this study was to investigate whether there is a shared uteroplacental etiology in the first trimester of pregnancy across PTB subtypes.

Myocardial Mechanics in Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Global longitudinal strain (GLS) is becoming routinely used to direct the medical management of various cardiac diseases, but its application in pregnancy is unclear. Our objective was to perform a meta-analysis and pool multiple study data to consolidate the evidence base for the role of GLS in the assessment of women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). Electronic database searches were performed in PubMed/Medline and EMBASE for research articles reporting GLS in pregnancies complicated by HDP and normotensive pregnancies that have been published up to September 2021.