Association of SARS-CoV-2 Infection during pregnancy with placental weight and histopathologic lesions.

Introduction: The reported gross and histopathologic changes in the placenta associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection are heterogeneous. We sought to summarize placental histopathologic findings from pregnancies affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection according to timing of infection and symptom severity.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy who had deliveries at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, from April 2020 through June 2021.

Ultrasound Microvessel Imaging of the Human Placenta Demonstrates Altered Vessel Densities in Fetal Growth Restriction With Vascular and Immune Pathologies: A Pilot Case-Control Study.

Objectives: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is commonly associated with placental dysfunction, increasing perinatal morbidity and mortality. Visualizing placental vessels in utero would be advantageous for identifying functional FGR cause and determining proper management strategies. We aimed to utilize high-sensitivity ultrasound microvessel imaging (HUMI) for quantifying placental vessel density (VD) in pregnancies diagnosed with FGR.

Maternal COVID-19 vaccination status and association with neonatal congenital anomalies.

Introduction: Despite recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant people, the effect of vaccination on neonatal outcomes remains unknown. We sought to determine the association between COVID-19 vaccination status in pregnancy and presence of neonatally diagnosed congenital anomalies.

Methods: A comprehensive vaccine registry was combined with a delivery database to create a cohort including all patients aged 16-55 years with a delivery event between December 10, 2020 and December 31, 2021 at a hospital within the Mayo Clinic Health System.

Impact of Aging and Cellular Senescence in the Pathophysiology of Preeclampsia.

The incidence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is increasing, which may be due to several factors, including an increased age at pregnancy and more comorbid health conditions during reproductive years. Preeclampsia, the most severe hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, has been associated with an increased risk of future disease, including cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Cellular senescence, the process of cell cycle arrest in response to many physiologic and maladaptive stimuli, may play an important role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and provide a mechanistic link to future disease.

Hospitalization in pregnancy due to human respiratory syncytial virus associated disease.

Background: Despite pregnancy being a state of physiologic immune alteration, it has not previously been described as a risk factor for hospitalization due to human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Case: This retrospective case series describes two cases of hospitalization due to RSV associated illness in pregnancy.

Conclusion: It remains to be determined if the current RSV surge is more dangerous to pregnant patients than those in seasons past.

Impact of hospital-based environmental exposures on neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants.

Purpose Of Review: Over 300,000 infants are hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in the United States annually during a developmental period critical to later neurobehavioral function. Environmental exposures during the fetal period and infancy have been shown to impact long-term neurobehavioral outcomes. This review summarizes evidence linking NICU-based environmental exposures to neurodevelopmental outcomes of children born preterm.