Main Complications during Pregnancy and Recommendations for Adequate Antenatal Care in Sickle Cell Disease: A Literature Review.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common monogenic disease worldwide, with a variable prevalence in each continent. A single nucleotide substitution leads to an amino-acid change in the β-globin chain, altering the normal structure ofhemoglobin, which is then called hemoglobin S inherited in homozygosity (HbSS) or double heterozygosity (HbSC, HbSβ), and leads to chronic hemolysis, vaso-occlusion, inflammation, and endothelium activation. Pregnant women with SCD are at a higher risk of developing maternal and perinatal complications.

Placental Findings in Preterm and Term Preeclampsia: An Integrative Review of the Literature.

Introduction:  Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy complication associated with increased maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The disease presents with recent onset hypertension (after 20 weeks of gestation) and proteinuria, and can progress to multiple organ dysfunction, with worse outcomes among early onset preeclampsia (EOP) cases (< 34 weeks). The placenta is considered the root cause of PE; it represents the interface between the mother and the fetus, and acts as a macromembrane between the two circulations, due to its villous and vascular structures.

Placental Sampling for Understanding Viral Infections - A Simplified Protocol for the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective:  The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic viral disease, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The impact of the disease among the obstetric population remains unclear, and the study of the placenta can provide valuable information. Adequate sampling of the placental tissue can help characterize the pathways of viral infections.

Adequate Placental Sampling for the Diagnosis and Characterization of Placental Infection by Zika Virus.

The detection of Zika virus (ZIKV) in immunoprivileged anatomical sites, potential sites for viral persistence, may guide the confirmation of undefined cases of ZIKV infection and also bring to light unknown pathways of viral transmission. Thus, this study aimed to characterize ZIKV infection in stratified, standardized placental samples in women with exanthematic febrile manifestations during pregnancy and compare findings to the standard investigation protocol of official health agencies. To this end, a case series of placental findings within a prospective cohort study was conducted over a period of 24 months.

Key Infections in the Placenta.

Congenital infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in low-income settings. This review discusses the main pathways of infections and associated adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, considering the TORCH pathogens, including Zika virus; the acronym stands for Toxoplasma gondii infection, other (Listeria monocytogenes, Treponema pallidum, and parvovirus B19, among others, including Zika virus), rubella virus, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex viruses type 1 and type 2.