Autologous umbilical cord blood infusion for the treatment of autism in young children: A within-subjects open label study on safety (assessed via caregiver report) and efficacy.

This study aimed to document the safety and efficacy of a single infusion of autologous umbilical cord blood (UCB) in 20 autistic children aged 24-72 months. A pre-post treatment within-subjects open label design was used. At T = 0, 6, 12, and 18 months, participants underwent detailed and structured safety evaluations (via caregiver report), Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (Vineland-3), Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale (SB-5), Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test, Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC), Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Behavior Inventory, Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised, Sensory Experience Questionnaire (SEQ-2.

Effects of Parental Predictors on Postpartum Depression.

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is highly prevalent and plagues a significant proportion of parents. Postpartum depression also exerts various negative consequences on infant development and parent-infant relationships. Social support is identified as an important factor influencing many parental predictors, and may affect the development of PPD.

Evaluating the Effects of the Supportive Parenting App on Infant Developmental Outcomes: Longitudinal Study.

Background: Previous studies have investigated the various effects of parenting on infant developmental outcomes. In particular, parental stress and social support have been found to significantly affect the growth of the newborn. Although many parents today use mobile apps to obtain more support in parenting and perinatal care, few studies have examined how these apps could affect infant development.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Supportive Parenting App on Parental Outcomes: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Adjusting to new or additional parenting responsibilities increases stress and affects parental well-being. Existing research has highlighted both parents' desire to receive more support. It has also been found that receiving sufficient social support enhances parenting outcomes.

Development of a Supportive Parenting App to Improve Parent and Infant Outcomes in the Perinatal Period: Development Study.

Background: The transition to parenthood can be challenging, and parents are vulnerable to psychological disorders during the perinatal period. This may have adverse long-term consequences on a child's development. Given the rise in technology and parents' preferences for mobile health apps, a supportive mobile health intervention is optimal.

Defects in protective cytokine profiles in spontaneous miscarriage in the first trimester.

Objective: To study differences in cytokine expression profiles between women with ongoing pregnancy and those experiencing spontaneous miscarriage, among women who presented with threatened miscarriage before week 16 of gestation.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Academic hospital.

Perinatal support for couples during COVID-19: A descriptive qualitative study.

Aims And Objectives: To explore the perspectives of parents during the perinatal period amid the COVID-19 pandemic and explore the experiences of Singaporean parents receiving perinatal support via the Supportive Parenting App (SPA).

Background: The stressors accompanying parenting responsibilities often affect the overall well-being of the family unit. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Singaporean parents are forced to shoulder childcare responsibilities with minimal support due to safety restrictions.

Risk score to stratify miscarriage risk levels in preconception women.

Spontaneous miscarriage is one of the most common complications of pregnancy. Even though some risk factors are well documented, there is a paucity of risk scoring tools during preconception. In the S-PRESTO cohort study, Asian women attempting to conceive, aged 18-45 years, were recruited.

Gestational age-specific normative values and determinants of serum progesterone through the first trimester of pregnancy.

Progesterone is a steroid hormone that is critical for implantation and maintenance of pregnancy, and low levels are associated with higher miscarriage risk. However, little is known about its trajectory during early pregnancy. We sought to determine the gestational age-specific normative values of serum progesterone on a week-by-week basis, and its associated maternal and fetal factors, during the first trimester of a viable low-risk pregnancy.

Risk factors for pregnancy-associated venous thromboembolism in Singapore.

Objectives: Pregnancy-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is associated with increased risk of maternal mortality and morbidity. This study aimed to assess potential risk factors for pregnancy-associated VTE.

Methods: In this case-control study, women with pregnancy-associated VTE were identified via International Classification of Diseases codes and included if they had been objectively diagnosed with VTE during pregnancy or within six weeks postpartum, from 2004 to 2016, at KK Women's and Children's Hospital or Singapore General Hospital in Singapore.

Epidemiology of pregnancy-associated pulmonary embolism in South Asian multi-ethnic country: Mortality trends over the last four decades.

Objective: To determine the cumulative incidence, time of occurrence and risk factors of pregnancy-associated pulmonary embolism (PE) in Singapore, and to review the maternal mortality ratio of PE over the last four decades.

Study Design And Setting: In this retrospective epidemiology review, women with pregnancy-associated PE were identified via International Classification of Diseases codes and included if they had been objectively diagnosed on imaging with PE during pregnancy or within 6 weeks postpartum from 2004 to 2016 at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) and Singapore General Hospital (SGH) in Singapore. The medical records were reviewed and the time of occurrence of confirmed PE cases and risk factors for PE were noted.

Retrospective study on the efficacy and prognostic factors of conservative versus drainage of tubo-ovarian abscesses.

Purpose: Management of tubo-ovarian abscesses (TOA) is often complex and may include antibiotics, image-guided drainage via interventional radiology (IR) or surgery. We aim to (i) identify clinical factors that prognosticate primary drainage and (ii) compare outcomes of each treatment regimen.

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis on patients with TOA, admitted to KK Hospital, a tertiary women's hospital in Singapore from June 2016 to June 2017.

Novel approach using serum progesterone as a triage to guide management of patients with threatened miscarriage: a prospective cohort study.

Threatened miscarriage is a common gynaecological emergency, with up to 25% of women eventually progressing to spontaneous miscarriage. The uncertainty of pregnancy outcomes results in significant anxiety. However, there is currently no acceptable framework for triaging patients presenting with threatened miscarriage.

Characterisation of serum progesterone and progesterone-induced blocking factor (PIBF) levels across trimesters in healthy pregnant women.

Progesterone-induced blocking factor (PIBF), which plays an important role in maintaining healthy pregnancies, has shown great promise as a prognostic biomarker for threatened miscarriage. To better characterise the physiological trends of progesterone and PIBF, we analysed serum progesterone and PIBF concentrations in healthy non-pregnant and pregnant women across trimesters. We saw increasing concentrations of progesterone and PIBF in pregnant women with advancing trimesters.

Multiplex Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Identification and Quantification of Urine Metabolites in Patient Samples within 30 min.

Successful translation of laboratory-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) platforms to clinical applications requires multiplex and ultratrace detection of small biomarker molecules from a complex biofluid. However, these biomarker molecules generally exhibit low Raman scattering cross sections and do not possess specific affinity to plasmonic nanoparticle surfaces, significantly increasing the challenge of detecting them at low concentrations. Herein, we demonstrate a "confine-and-capture" approach for multiplex detection of two families of urine metabolites correlated with miscarriage risks, 5β-pregnane-3α,20α-diol-3α-glucuronide and tetrahydrocortisone.

Immunological observations and transcriptomic analysis of trimester-specific full-term placentas from three Zika virus-infected women.

Objectives: Effects of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection on placental development during pregnancy are unclear.

Methods: Full-term placentas from three women, each infected with ZIKV during specific pregnancy trimesters, were harvested for anatomic, immunologic and transcriptomic analysis.

Results: In this study, each woman exhibited a unique immune response with raised IL-1RA, IP-10, EGF and RANTES expression and neutrophil numbers during the acute infection phase.

Coverage and determinants of influenza vaccine among pregnant women: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Pregnant women are at increased risk of influenza-related complications. The World Health Organisation recommends influenza vaccination to this high-risk population as highest priority. However, achieving high influenza vaccine coverage among pregnant women remains challenging.

Serum progesterone distribution in normal pregnancies compared to pregnancies complicated by threatened miscarriage from 5 to 13 weeks gestation: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Progesterone is a critical hormone in early pregnancy. A low level of serum progesterone is associated with threatened miscarriage. We aim to establish the distribution of maternal serum progesterone in normal pregnancies compared to pregnancies complicated by threatened miscarriage from 5 to 13 weeks gestation.

The randomised controlled trial of micronised progesterone and dydrogesterone (TRoMaD) for threatened miscarriage.

Unlabelled: There has not been conclusive evidence in literature on the efficacy of progestogen in the treatment of threatened miscarriage, although some studies showed benefits. In our centre, threatened miscarriage is treated with either micronised progesterone (MP) or dydrogesterone (DYD).

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare clinical outcomes of miscarriage, extent of vaginal bleeding at follow-up and side effects between treatment groups.

Threatened miscarriage and depressive and anxiety symptoms among women and partners in early pregnancy.

Background: Antenatal depression has been associated with poor maternal and fetal outcomes, and threatened miscarriage is often seen clinically to impact adversely on maternal wellbeing, notwithstanding the limited research evidence. Our study aims to examine the link between threatened miscarriage and antenatal depression and anxiety in an Asian obstetric population.

Methods: We recruited 121 women and 68 partners facing threatened miscarriage, and 241 women and 180 partners experiencing uncomplicated pregnancies from a tertiary maternity hospital in Singapore.

Development of a new patient-derived xenograft humanised mouse model to study human-specific tumour microenvironment and immunotherapy.

Objective: As the current therapeutic strategies for human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been proven to have limited effectiveness, immunotherapy becomes a compelling way to tackle the disease. We aim to provide humanised mouse (humice) models for the understanding of the interaction between human cancer and immune system, particularly for human-specific drug testing.

Design: Patient-derived xenograft tumours are established with type I human leucocyte antigen matched human immune system in NOD- (NSG) mice.

Macronutrient composition and food groups associated with gestational weight gain: the GUSTO study.

Purpose: To examine the associations of energy, macronutrient and food intakes with GWG on 960 pregnant women from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) mother-offspring cohort.

Methods: Dietary intake was assessed at 26-28 weeks' gestation with a 24-hour recall and 3-day food diary. GWG z-scores were calculated from first (4-13 weeks' gestation) and last (30-40 weeks gestation) measured weights; inadequate and excessive GWG were defined using the Institute of Medicine recommendations based on weights between 15 and 35 weeks' gestation.

Effects of a portion design plate on food group guideline adherence among hospital staff.

Food group guideline adherence is vital to prevent obesity and diabetes. Various studies have demonstrated that environmental variables influence food intake behaviour. In the present study we examined the effect of a portion design plate with food group portion guidelines demarcated by coloured lines (ETE Plate™).

A Novel Human Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Model in Humanised Mice.

Mouse models have contributed to the bulk of knowledge on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Nevertheless, substantial differences exist between human and mouse immune system. We aimed to establish and characterise a SLE model mediated by human immune system.