Effects of a phyto complex on well-being of climacteric women.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a phyto complex on menopausal symptoms.

Material And Methods: A total of 151 women aged 42-67 years were enrolled. They were in spontaneous or surgical menopause by at least 12 months, reporting symptoms referable to the climacteric syndrome.

Folic acid use in planned pregnancy: an Italian survey.

It is well known that periconceptional folic acid supplementation decreases the risk of neural tube defects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitudes and practices of women with planned pregnancies regarding periconceptional folic acid intake and to identify factors associated with the use of this supplement. During 2 years of observation, we surveyed women with planned pregnancies who called our Teratology Information Service.

Sexuality, pre-conception counseling and urological management of pregnancy for young women with spina bifida.

A great number of newborns with spina bifida now survive with a growing life expectancy. Support with regard to sexual issues is essential in the management of adolescents with spina bifida, who require specific knowledge of sexual problems related to their disability. Women with spina bifida are usually fertile and need pre-conception counseling.

Clopidogrel treatment during pregnancy: a case report and a review of literature.

Management of ischemic heart disease in pregnant women is still difficult, as there is little experience with many of the newer treatments such as clopidogrel. The safety of clopidogrel in pregnancy is unknown, especially in combination with aspirin. Its use during gestation has been described in a few case reports.

Smoke, alcohol consumption and illicit drug use in an Italian population of pregnant women.

Objective: High-risk behaviours are associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Exposure to drugs, infection or radiation is a cause of concern for pregnant women, who contact Teratology Information Services (TIS) to have a counseling but with an accurate medical history is possible to detect additional behavioural risk factors that can significantly interfere with pregnancy outcome. The aim of this study is to describe risk behaviours in a population of Italian women calling our TIS and to identify related maternal factors.

Invasive fetal therapies: approach and results in treating fetal ovarian cysts.

Objective: To show the validity of prenatal invasive surgical intervention when a fetal ovarian cyst is diagnosed, compared to a wait and see attitude, in order to avoid possible prenatal and postnatal complications.

Patients: Fourteen cases of intra-abdominal cysts monitored in our center between April 2005 and November 2010. All cases were first diagnosed in the third trimester, and were monitored for the remainder of the pregnancy and after delivery (2 months-3 years postnatally).

Antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy: pharmacokinetics and transplacental transfer.

Epilepsy represents the most common maternal neurological disorder requiring continuous treatment during pregnancy. Maintaining optimum seizure control is an important objective in pregnancy, and the majority of women with epilepsy will need to continue antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). AEDs are frequently used to treat several other conditions, such as headaches and mood disorders.

Use of the Internet by women seeking information about potentially teratogenic agents.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate if the Internet provides evidence-based information to women seeking information about teratogenic risk factors and women's risk perception. Furthermore, we evaluated the possible risk related to teratogen exposure in the study sample and analysed age, gravidity, educational level, geographic location, marital status and type of exposure compared to a control group made up of women who did not use the Internet to search for teratogen-related information.

Study Design: Between October 2008 and June 2009, a questionnaire was administered to pregnant women calling our Teratology Information Service concerning a suspected teratogenic exposure.