First-trimester treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy using a cervical ripening-double-balloon catheter: A case report.

Cesarean scar pregnancies are relatively rare. In the first trimester, if the decision is made to terminate the pregnancy, it should be done as soon as possible to avoid complications. We report a successful termination of a live, 6 weeks and 4 days cesarean scar pregnancy using a double-balloon cervical ripening catheter in a patient with two previous cesarean deliveries.

An analysis of decision making in cord blood donation through a participatory approach.

We analysed knowledge, comprehension, opinions, attitudes and choices related to cord blood donation in seven heterogeneous focus groups including pregnant women, future parents, cord blood donors, midwives and obstetricians/gynaecologists. Comparative evaluations focused on attitudes before versus after delivery and preferences of public versus private banking. The study outlined large support to altruistic cord blood donation and need for better health professionals education in this field.

Exposure to video display terminals and risk of small-for-gestational-age birth.

In this study, the authors analyzed the association between video display terminal (VDT) use before and during the three trimesters of pregnancy and risk of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth in a case-control study. The cases for this study were 555 women who delivered SGA births. The controls were 1966 women who gave birth at term to healthy infants of normal weight.

Coffee drinking and risk of preterm birth.

Objectives: We analysed the association between coffee drinking before and during the three trimesters of pregnancy and the risk of preterm birth of babies normal for gestational age (NGA) or small for gestational age (SGA).

Methods: Case-control study conducted in University clinics of North Italy. Cases were 502 women who delivered at <37 weeks of gestation.

Periconceptional smoking and male:female ratio of newborns.

We have analysed data collected on 1962 women who gave birth at 37 or more weeks of gestation to health infants (excluding those with a low birth weight and twins). In comparison with non-smoking parents, the odds ratio (OR) of being male was lower than unity for offsprings of both smoking parents, but no clear relationship however emerged between the risk of giving birth to a male, and the number of cigarettes smoked per day.

Age, menopausal status and homocysteine levels in women around menopause.

Objective: To obtain data on the relation between age, menopause and homocysteine levels in women around menopause, we collected data for a sample of about 500 women attending a menopause clinic in Milan, Italy.

Study Design: Eligible for the study were all women aged 45-75 years, never HRT users consecutively observed for the first time at the Menopause Center of the 1st Obstetric Gynecological Clinic of the University of Milan. Fasting blood samples for total homocysteine plasma levels were collected during the visit.