Atosiban versus placebo for threatened preterm birth (APOSTEL 8): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Tocolytics are recommended in international guidelines as treatment for threatened preterm birth. Atosiban, an oxytocin receptor antagonist, is a registered tocolytic drug specifically indicated for the treatment of threatened preterm birth. Although tocolytics have been shown to delay birth, benefits on neonatal outcomes have not been demonstrated.

The effect of an exam-indicated cerclage before 24 weeks of gestation to prevent preterm birth: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The effect of an exam-indicated cerclage (EIC) remains uncertain due to limited evidence from reviews covering pregnancies beyond this timeframe. With the 24-week mark serving as an international threshold for neonatal care initiation, the aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the available literature on the effectiveness of an EIC before 24 weeks of gestation. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, CENTRAL, clinicaltrials.

Pop-off mechanisms in fetal megacystis: extravasation, umbilical cord cyst, ureterocele and megaureter.

Objective: To analyze comprehensively the incidence, antenatal ultrasound characteristics and prognostic implications of antenatal pop-off mechanisms of the fetal urinary system in pregnancies with suspected fetal megacystis.

Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter study of pregnancies with suspected fetal megacystis conducted across all academic hospitals in The Netherlands. Three antenatal pop-off mechanisms were identified: presence of an umbilical cord cyst (UCC), extravasation of urine into the intraperitoneal space (ascites) or perirenal subcapsular (urinoma), and megaureter/ureterocele.

Understanding how midwife-led continuity of care can be implemented and under what circumstances: a realist review.

Objectives: To understand how and under what circumstances midwife-led continuity of care (MLCC) can be implemented in high-income countries.

Design: A realist review was conducted to examine interactions between contexts, mechanisms and outcomes.

Methods: An initial programme theory described a hypothesis of how MLCC might be implemented successfully.

Confronting the Taboo of Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction: A Qualitative Study of Maternal Decision-Making in Triplet Pregnancies.

Objective: To explore the personal experiences of women faced with the decision to continue a triplet pregnancy or undergo multifetal pregnancy reduction.

Methods: A qualitative study with semi-structured interviews was conducted between October 2021 and April 2023. Participants included women who continued a triplet pregnancy, and those who underwent multifetal pregnancy reduction from triplet to twins or singletons, 1-6 years post-decision.

Pessary or cerclage (PC study) to prevent recurrent preterm birth: a non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Previous spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) is a strong risk indicator for recurrent preterm birth (PTB). Cervical cerclage is an accepted intervention to prevent recurrent PTB in high risk patients. Cervical pessary might be a less invasive alternative.

Preterm birth recurrence after spontaneous preterm birth between 16-28 weeks: A national cohort study.

Objective: To assess the risk of recurrent preterm birth following spontaneous extreme preterm birth between 16 - 27 weeks.

Methods: A nationwide retrospective cohort study was conducted with data from the Perinatal Registry of the Netherlands. We included nulliparous women with a singleton pregnancy that ended in spontaneous preterm birth between 16 and 27 weeks of gestation without congenital anomalies or antenatal death between 2010-2014 and had a subsequent pregnancy in the 5 years following (2010-2019).

Phenotype-to-Genotype Description of Prenatal Suspected and Postnatal Discovered Upper Limb Anomalies: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: To evaluate phenotype and genotype characteristics of fetuses and children with upper limb anomalies.

Method: Retrospective cohort study of a prenatal and postnatal cohort with upper limb anomalies from January 2007 to December 2021 in a Fetal Medicine Unit. Prenatally on ultrasound suspected upper limb anomalies, such as transverse and longitudinal reduction defects, polydactyly, and syndactyly, and postnatally identified children referred to the Congenital Hand Team were evaluated separately.

The effectiveness of ultrasound-indicated cerclage for the reduction of extreme preterm birth in twin pregnancies with a short cervix: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of cervical cerclage in women with a twin pregnancy and a midpregnancy asymptomatic short cervix (≤25 mm), in preventing preterm birth and improving neonatal outcomes.

Data Sources: Systematic searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library up to April 17, 2023, updated in September and February 2024.

Study Eligibility Criteria: Included were randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies comparing cerclage with expectant management in twin pregnancies and an asymptomatic short cervix (≤25 mm).

Parental Acceptance of Fetal Tissue Donation.

Importance: Human fetal tissue is essential for biomedical research, providing unparalleled insights into human development and disease.

Objective: To assess changes in parental decisions to donate fetal tissue following termination of pregnancy after the introduction of the Dutch Fetal Biobank (DFB) and to identify factors associated with consent to donate.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study collected data from all individuals assigned female at birth (hereafter referred to as participants) who underwent a termination of pregnancy at the Amsterdam University Medical Center from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2022.

Variation between countries for routine transvaginal cervical length measurement and interventions to prevent preterm birth.

Objective: To assess the variation between countries for routine transvaginal ultrasound assessment of the cervical length and interventions offered to prevent preterm birth (PTB).

Study Design: An anonymous digital questionnaire was sent out between August and October 2023 to delegates of the European Spontaneous Preterm Birth Congress. Outcomes assessed included method, indications (i.

Telemedicine ultrasound assessment for placenta accreta spectrum: Utility and interobserver reliability of asynchronous remote imaging review.

Objective: Management of patients with placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) by trained multidisciplinary teams is associated with improved outcomes. Ultrasound can predict intraoperative risks, but expert ultrasound imaging of PAS is often limited. Telemedicine is used increasingly in obstetrics, permitting expert consultation when essential resources are not available locally.

Long-term child follow-up after randomised controlled trials evaluating prevention of preterm birth interventions: A systematic review.

Background: Obstetric interventions can have unexpected long-term effects on child development. However, evaluation of these outcomes is not standard in current research.

Objectives: To give an overview of long-term follow-up studies after randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating interventions to prevent preterm birth in asymptomatic pregnancies.

The impact of cut-off values on the prevalence of short cervical length in pregnancy.

Background: A prior study suggested that implementing a cut-off value of ≤30 mm for a short cervical length (CL) could potentially introduce selection bias and alter the distribution of CL measurements. As such, the objective of this study is to evaluate how CL distribution and incidence of short CL are affected when using different cut-off values for a short CL.

Study Design: This is a secondary analysis of the Quadruple P (QP) Screening study; a prospective cohort study that included low-risk patients with singleton pregnancies undergoing fetal anomaly scan at 18-22 weeks of gestation, including a CL measurement.

Development and validation of a prognostic model to predict birth weight: individual participant data meta-analysis.

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.

Atosiban versus placebo in the treatment of threatened preterm birth between 30 and 34 weeks gestation: study protocol of the 4-year APOSTEL 8 follow-up.

Introduction: Currently, the majority of women worldwide with threatened preterm birth are treated with tocolytics. Although tocolytics can effectively delay birth for 48 hours, no tocolytic drug has convincingly been shown to improve neonatal outcomes and effects on long-term child development are unknown. The aim of this follow-up study of a placebo controlled randomised trial is to investigate the long-term effects of atosiban administration in case of threatened preterm birth on child's neurodevelopment and behaviour development, overall health and mortality.

Early magnesium discontinuation postpartum and eclampsia risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: The optimal duration of magnesium administration postpartum for prevention of eclampsia has not yet been established. Our objective was to investigate the effect of early discontinuation of postpartum magnesium on the rates of postpartum eclampsia compared to continuation for 24-hours postpartum.

Material And Methods: Searches were performed using keywords related to "preeclampsia" and "magnesium sulfate" from inception of database until August 2023.

Psychological sequelae following second-trimester termination of pregnancy: A longitudinal study.

Introduction: The decision to terminate a pregnancy due to fetal anomalies can have a significant emotional impact, especially in second-trimester terminations. Previous studies on the psychological consequences of pregnancy termination have had limitations, and little is known about the outcomes for partners and the impact of fetal donation. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the psychological effects of second-trimester pregnancy termination and identify factors associated with outcomes in both women and men, including donation of fetal remains to science.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Urine Dipsticks for Urinary Tract Infection Diagnosis during Pregnancy: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) represent the most prevalent infections among pregnant women. Many pregnant women experience frequent voiding or lower abdominal pain during pregnancy due to physiologic changes. Due to the possible consequences of a UTI in pregnancy, pregnant women are more often tested for UTIs.