Late-term fetuses with reduced umbilical vein blood flow volume: An under-recognized population at increased risk of growth restriction.

Objectives: To investigate the umbilical vein and uterine arteries blood flow volume (UV-Q, UtA-Q) in late-term pregnancies.

Study Design: This was a prospective observational cohort study of singleton pregnancies ≥40 + 0 weeks in which UV-Q and UtA-Q, both absolute and normalized for estimated fetal weight (EFW) values, were evaluated in relation to AC drop of ≥20 percentiles from 20 weeks to term, Doppler signs of fetal cerebral blood flow redistribution and composite adverse perinatal outcome. The presence of neonatal hypoglycaemia and the need of formula milk supplementation were also examined.

Vaginal delivery in women with HIV in Italy: results of 5 years of implementation of the national SIGO-HIV protocol.

Purpose: To evaluate the maternal and neonatal safety of vaginal delivery in women with HIV following the implementation of a national protocol in Italy.

Methods: Vaginal delivery was offered to all eligible women who presented antenatally at twelve participating clinical sites. Data collection and definition of outcomes followed the procedures of the National Program on Surveillance on Antiretroviral Treatment in Pregnancy.

HHV-6 is frequently detected in dried cord blood spots from babies born to HIV-positive mothers.

Intrauterine transmission of HHV-6 is well established in immunocompetent women while few data are available on infections in babies born to HIV-positive mothers. To assess the rate of HHV-6 vertical transmission in comparison to CMV, we analyzed cord blood spots dried on cards (Dried Blood Spots, DBS) collected during a multi-center study on HIV congenital infections in Italy. DBS were tested by PCR for HHV-6 and CMV footprints.

DEFB-1 genetic polymorphism screening in HIV-1 positive pregnant women and their children.

Objective: In our study we evaluated the frequency of three SNPs (-52 G/A, -44 C/G; -20 G/A) in the 5' UTR of DEFB-1 gene, in a cohort of 130 HIV-1 infected mothers and their children, collected by the Italian group SIGO in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Methods: The three SNPs (-52 G/A, -44 C/G; -20 G/A) in the 5' UTR of DEFB-1 gene were genotyped by direct sequencing of PCR products.

Results: The C allele at position -44 was shown to be significantly different in both HIV-1 positive mothers and their children when compared to the healthy controls.

Italian multicentric pilot study on MBL2 genetic polymorphisms in HIV positive pregnant women and their children.

Objective: We investigated genetic polymorphisms of MBL2 gene, in a cohort of 90 Italian HIV-1 pregnant seropositive women and their children in order to understand whether the MBL2 genotype of HIV-1 positive mothers might be related to their ability to transmit the virus to their children.

Materials And Methods: DNA was extracted from Iso Code Stix cards, and MBL2 genotyping was performed by Melting Temperature Assay.

Results: The frequency of the MBL2 0/0 homozygotes was higher in HIV-1 positive mothers than in healthy controls, the MBL2 0/0 genotype was more frequent in children born from HIV positive mothers than healthy subjects.