Retrospective Evaluation of C-reactive Protein for Ruling Out Infection After Cesarean Section.

Introduction: Infection after cesarean section is a major contributor to maternal morbidity. Measurement of C-reactive protein (CRP) is a laboratory test frequently conducted to rule out or confirm postoperative infection. The present study aimed to evaluate whether CRP is a suitable tool for ruling out infection after cesarean section and whether there are any reliable cut-off values.

Socioeconomic status as a risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women.

Objectives: Due to the association between COVID-19 and adverse pregnancy outcomes, pregnant women are considered to be a vulnerable patient group. Studies have shown that low socioeconomic status (SES) is a risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection. COVID-19 and low SES are likely to have a synergistic adverse effect.

Perioperative complications in women undergoing thermal balloon endometrial ablation after one or more cesarean deliveries.

Objective: To determine whether thermal ballon endometrial ablation can be safely performed after one or more cesarean sections.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study including all women who underwent thermal balloon endometrial ablation at the Kepler University Hospital, Austria, between November 2017 and December 2022. For the analysis of the study endpoints, the dataset was divided into two groups: women with at least one cesarean section, and women without a history of cesarean section.

Breastfeeding in primiparous women - expectations and reality: a prospective questionnaire survey.

Background: Breastfeeding provides the optimal nutrition for infants and offers numerous benefits for both mother and child. The World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life and the introduction of complementary feeding between the fifth and seventh months of life. There is a discrepancy between breastfeeding recommendations and the actual duration of breastfeeding.

Effects of age on the diagnostic value of the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/ placental growth factor ratio in preeclampsia: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Measurement of the ratio between soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PlGF) supports the diagnosis of preeclampsia. sFlt-1/PlGF ratios of at least 85 and at least 110 have previously been suggested for diagnosis of early-onset and late-onset preeclampsia, respectively. However, angiogenic and antiangiogenic factors change throughout the process of aging, potentially influencing preeclampsia diagnosis.

Maintenance tocolysis, tocolysis in preterm premature rupture of membranes and in cervical cerclage - a Germany-wide survey on the current practice after dissemination of the German guideline.

Objectives: To investigate the adherence of German perinatal specialist units and those of basic obstetric care to the national guideline we compared data from a nation-wide survey on the practice of maintenance tocolysis, tocolysis in preterm premature rupture of membranes and in the perioperative setting of cervical cerclage, and bedrest during and after tocolysis with recommendations from the current German Guideline 015/025 "Prevention and Treatment of Preterm Birth".

Methods: A total of 632 obstetric clinics in Germany were approached and received a link to an online questionnaire. Data were descriptively analyzed by performing measures of frequency.

Teenage Pregnancies in Austria - an Epidemiological Study on Prevalence and Perinatal Outcome.

Even though teenage pregnancy rates have been declining in the last decades, their global prevalence is still high and shows country-specific discrepancies. Insufficient sexual education, poor availability of contraceptives and early marriage are some of the multifactorial causes for adolescent pregnancies. Very often teenage pregnancies are classified as high-risk pregnancies.

Antibody Response and Maternofetal Antibody Transfer in SARS-CoV-2-Positive Pregnant Women: A Multicenter Observational Study.

Awareness of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women and the potential risk for infection of their neonates is increasing. The aim of this study was to examine the immune status of affected women and evaluate the dynamics of placental antibody transfer. The study included 176 women with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy who delivered between April 2020 and December 2021 at eight obstetric maternity sites.

Double ionophore application in cases with previous failed/low fertilization or poor embryo development.

Research Question: Does a double ionophore application improve the outcome of cycles in which single ionophore application was unsuccessful?

Design: This retrospective intervention study (duration 4.5 years) included 79 patients with suspected chronic failed oocyte activation (<30% fertilizations) and/or poor embryo development (developmental arrest, 24 h developmental delay, blastulation rate <15%) in both preceding cycles, the first without ionophore and the second with single ionophore treatment. Within the study period, all patients with failed ionophore treatments (single applications of ready-to-use calcimycin for 15 min) were offered an adapted protocol in the subsequent cycle (study cycle) in which the same ionophore was applied twice (separated by 30 min).

Do obstetric units adhere to the evidence-based national guideline? A Germany-wide survey on the current practice of initial tocolysis.

Objectives: Current international guidelines recommend tocolytic treatment by at least 48 h to complete fetal lung maturation and to ensure in-utero transfer to a perinatal center before 34 weeks of gestation in patients with threatened preterm birth. According to the results of former surveys, significant differences between daily clinical practice patterns and evidence-based guideline recommendations regarding tocolytic treatment have been demonstrated. We compared data from a nation-wide survey on the practice of initial tocolysis with recommendations from the current German Guideline 015/025 "Prevention and Treatment of Preterm Birth".

Ionophore application for artificial oocyte activation and its potential effect on morphokinetics: a sibling oocyte study.

Purpose: To evaluate whether ionophore application at the oocyte stage changes the morphokinetics of the associated embryos in cases of artificial oocyte activation.

Methods: In a prospective sibling oocyte approach, 78 ICSI patients with suspected fertilization problems had half of their MII-oocytes treated with a ready-to-use ionophore (calcimycin) immediately following ICSI (study group). Untreated ICSI eggs served as the control group.

The hare and the tortoise: extreme mitotic rates and how these affect live birth.

Research Question: Is live birth of patients with excessive slow (no blastocyst on day 5) and fast mitotic rate (full blastocyst development on day 4) comparable to a matched control standard (blastocyst formation on day 5)?

Design: In this retrospective matched (age and anti-Müllerian hormone [AMH]) case-control study rates of fertilization, blastulation, implantation, clinical pregnancy and live birth were compared in couples with male factor indication, prolonged embryo culture and fresh single morula and blastocyst transfer.

Results: The rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy and live birth in the slow-developing group were significantly (P < 0.001) lower (17.

Retrospective evaluation of attempted vaginal deliveries in dichorionic twin pregnancies.

Purpose: Numbers of planned cesarean deliveries are increasing in twin pregnancies, despite the lack of evidence for this approach, and the second twin is thought to be at risk for a poorer outcome. The aim of this study was to examine whether twins have a poorer outcome if an attempted vaginal delivery is changed to a cesarean section or combined delivery.

Methods: This retrospective data analysis included all women with dichorionic twin pregnancies attempting vaginal delivery over a 10-year period.

Retrospective evaluation of established cut-off values for the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio for predicting imminent delivery in preeclampsia patients.

Objective: The outcome of preeclampsia is difficult to predict. Laboratory markers such as soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PlGF) are thought to be predictive factors. A 2012 study by Verlohren et al.

Time-lapse imaging of cytoplasmic strings at the blastocyst stage suggests their association with spontaneous blastocoel collapse.

Research Question: To study the origin and temporal behaviour of cytoplasmic strings spanning the blastocoel (main objective) and their influence on treatment outcome (secondary objective).

Design: This retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was set up in a university medical centre. Patients who either underwent fresh (n = 95) or vitrified-warmed (n = 55) single blastocyst transfer were included.

Does the Porter formula hold its promise? A weight estimation formula for macrosomic fetuses put to the test.

Purpose: Estimating fetal weight using ultrasound measurements is an essential task in obstetrics departments. Most of the commonly used weight estimation formulas underestimate fetal weight when the actual birthweight exceeds 4000 g. Porter et al.

Postpartum Galactostasis of the Vulva in a Case of Bilateral Lactating Ectopic Breast Tissue.

Background: In the general population, the incidence of accessory breast tissue, a congenital malformation, is 1-5%. The most common site is the lower axilla. Detecting such tissue may be problematic, and accessory breasts below the umbilicus are extremely rare.