Publications by authors named "Kingdom J"

Objectives: Acute histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) is detected in over 50% of spontaneous preterm birth (PTB) and is associated with worse neonatal prognosis. We aim to investigate whether the presence of HCA impacts subsequent pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included deliveries at a tertiary centre from 2014 to 2020.

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Importance: Early preterm birth (ie, at less than 34 weeks' gestation) confers a high risk for adverse health outcomes, yet no universal screening strategy exists, preventing targeted delivery of effective interventions.

Objective: To evaluate the ability of midpregnancy placental growth factor (PlGF) screening to identify pregnancies at highest risk for early preterm birth.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This prospective cohort study was conducted at an urban, tertiary care center from 2020 to 2023.

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Objective: To predict birth weight at various potential gestational ages of delivery based on data routinely available at the first antenatal visit.

Design: Individual participant data meta-analysis.

Data Sources: Individual participant data of four cohorts (237 228 pregnancies) from the International Prediction of Pregnancy Complications (IPPIC) network dataset.

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Background: Our objective was to investigate the predictive and diagnostic accuracy of the angiogenic proteins sFlt-1 (soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1) and PlGF (placental growth factor) for preterm preeclampsia and explore the relationship between renal function and these proteins.

Methods: We completed a blinded, prospective, longitudinal, observational study of patients with chronic kidney disease followed at a tertiary center (2018-2023). Serum samples were obtained at 3 time points along gestation (planned sampling): 12-16, 18-22, and 28-32 weeks.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess maternal serum levels of placental growth factor (PlGF), ultrasound placental parameters, and clinical outcomes in IVF frozen embryo transfer (FET) pregnancies, comparing those with and without embryo trophectoderm biopsy.
  • Results showed that median PlGF levels were lower in the FET biopsy group (614.5 pg/mL) compared to the non-biopsy group (717.0 pg/mL), although this difference was not statistically significant.
  • The conclusion suggests a potential link between trophectoderm biopsy and lower PlGF levels, highlighting the need for further research on its impact on placental health.
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Objective: To identify which components of maternal vascular malperfusion (MVM) pathology are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and to investigate the morphological phenotypes of MVM placental pathology and their relationship with distinct clinical presentations of pre-eclampsia and/or fetal growth restriction (FGR).

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary care hospital in Toronto, Canada.

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Background: Many studies have reported interventions for women with vasa praevia to improve perinatal outcomes. However, which outcomes are important for women remains unclear.

Aim: To explore what outcomes are important for women with lived experience of vasa praevia and why, in order to inform the development of a core outcome set for studies on vasa praevia.

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Objective: Fetuses with single ventricle physiology (SVP) exhibit reductions in fetal cerebral oxygenation, with associated delays in fetal brain growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Maternal supplemental oxygen (MSO) has been proposed to improve fetal brain growth, but current evidence on dosing, candidacy and outcomes is limited. In this pilot study, we evaluated the safety and feasibility of continuous low-dose MSO in the setting of SVP.

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Background: Fetuses with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CHD) exhibit profound fetal circulatory disturbances that may affect early outcomes.

Objectives: This study sought to investigate the relationship between fetal hemodynamics and early survival and neurodevelopmental (ND) outcomes in patients with cyanotic CHD.

Methods: In this longitudinal observational study, fetuses with cyanotic CHD underwent late gestational fetal cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) to measure vessel blood flow and oxygen content.

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There is level-1 evidence that screening for and treating gestational diabetes in singleton pregnancies reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity. However, similar data for gestational diabetes in twin pregnancies are currently lacking. Consequently, the current approach for the diagnosis and management of gestational diabetes in twin pregnancies is based on the same diagnostic criteria and glycemic targets used in singleton pregnancies.

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Article Synopsis
  • Recent studies have found microplastics in human blood and placenta, but their health effects are not fully understood.
  • In experiments with pregnant mice, exposure to polystyrene microplastics led to fetal growth restriction, prompting further research on polyethylene, a common type of microplastic.
  • The study showed that while polyethylene exposure did not affect fetal growth, it significantly increased blood flow in the umbilical artery, indicating potential risks to placental function and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
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  • The study investigates how exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics in pregnant mice affects fetal brain metabolism, particularly during gestation and lactation.
  • Pregnant mice were given drinking water containing nanoplastics and researchers found significant decreases in important metabolites like GABA, creatine, and glucose in the fetal brain.
  • The findings suggest that maternal nanoplastic exposure disrupts normal brain development in fetuses, highlighting potential risks for human pregnancies and the need for further research.
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Objective: Cesarean hysterectomy is generally presumed to decrease maternal morbidity and mortality secondary to placenta accreta spectrum disorder. Recently, uterine-sparing techniques have been introduced in conservative management of placenta accreta spectrum disorder to preserve fertility and potentially reduce surgical complications. However, despite patients often expressing the intention for future conception, few data are available regarding the subsequent pregnancy outcomes after conservative management of placenta accreta spectrum disorder.

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Late gestational supine positioning reduces maternal cardiac output due to inferior vena caval (IVC) compression, despite increased collateral venous return. However, little is known about the impact of maternal position on oxygen (O ) delivery and consumption of the gravid uterus, fetus, placenta and lower limbs. We studied the effects of maternal positioning on these parameters in 20 healthy pregnant subjects at 36 ± 2 weeks using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); a follow-up MRI was performed 6-months postpartum (n = 16/20).

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Despite documented effects linking underlying placental diseases and neurological impairments in children, little is known about the long-term effects of placental pathology on children's neurocognitive outcomes. In addition, maternal responsivity, known to positively influence early postnatal cognitive development, may act to protect children from putative adverse effects of placental pathology. The current study is a follow up of medically healthy, term born, preschool age children, born with placental pathology.

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Objective: Fetal growth restriction is a common obstetrical complication that affects up to 10% of pregnancies in the general population and is most commonly due to underlying placental diseases. The purpose of this guideline is to provide summary statements and recommendations to support a clinical framework for effective screening, diagnosis, and management of pregnancies that are either at risk of or affected by fetal growth restriction.

Target Population: All pregnant patients with a singleton pregnancy.

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Objectif: Le retard de croissance intra-utérin est une complication obstétricale fréquente qui touche jusqu'à 10 % des grossesses dans la population générale et qui est le plus souvent due à une pathologie placentaire sous-jacente. L'objectif de la présente directive clinique est de fournir des déclarations sommaires et des recommandations pour appuyer un protocole clinique de dépistage, diagnostic et prise en charge du retard de croissance intra-utérin pour les grossesses à risque ou atteintes.

Population Cible: Toutes les patientes enceintes menant une grossesse monofœtale.

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Maternal exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics has been shown to result in fetal growth restriction in mice. In this study, we investigated the placental and fetal hemodynamic responses to plastics exposure in mice using high-frequency ultrasound. Healthy, pregnant CD-1 dams were given either 106 ng/L of 5 μm polystyrene microplastics or 106 ng/L of 50 nm polystyrene nanoplastics in drinking water throughout gestation and were compared with controls.

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Background: Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy characterized by chronic placental ischemia and suppression of proangiogenic proteins, causing oxidative stress, hypertension, and maternal systemic organ damage. The transcription factor, PPARγ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ) promotes healthy trophoblast differentiation but is dysregulated in the preeclampsia placenta. Our study identifies the beneficial impact of Rosiglitazone-mediated PPARγ-activation in the stressed preeclampsia placenta.

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Background: Maternal serum markers used for trisomy 21 screening are associated with placenta-mediated complications. Recently, there has been a transition from the traditional first-trimester screening (FTS) that included PAPP-A (pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A) and beta-hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), to the enhanced FTS test, which added first-trimester AFP (alpha-fetoprotein) and PlGF (placental growth factor). However, whether elevated first-trimester AFP has a similar association with placenta-mediated complications to that observed for elevated second-trimester AFP remains unclear.

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