Publications by authors named "Witters I"

Subchorionic placental cysts occur in up to 5% of pregnancies. Large and numerous placental cysts increase the risk for intrauterine growth restriction. We describe a case with large multiple subchorionic placental cysts complicated by intracystic hemorraghe and fetal growth restriction.

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Objectives: To investigate the natural history, associated abnormalities and outcome of 12 fetuses with arachnoid cyst diagnosed antenatally by ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging and to compare the outcome with cases in the literature.

Methods: A retrospective study of all cases of antenatally detected fetal arachnoid cysts was performed in patients referred to a tertiary unit between 2007 and 2013. Associated abnormalities, pregnancy outcome and postnatal follow-up were analyzed.

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Background: Sepsis is associated with generalised endothelial injury and capillary leak and has traditionally been treated with large volume fluid resuscitation. Some patients with sepsis will accumulate bodily fluids. The aim of this study was to systematically review the association between a positive fluid balance/fluid overload and outcomes in critically ill adults, and to determine whether interventions aimed at reducing fluid balance may be linked with improved outcomes.

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Background: Maternal obesity is a growing public health concern in Belgium as well as in other European countries and is now becoming the most common risk factor associated with pregnancy complications with impact on the health of the women and her offspring. At this moment, there is no specific management strategy for obese pregnant women and mothers, focusing on physical health and psychological well-being.

Objectives: We aimed (1) to study the influence of socio-demographic and obstetrical correlates on pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) in different regions of Flanders, Belgium, (2) to review the literature on the onset and progression of labour in normal weight and obese pregnant women, (3) to compare levels and evolution of anxiety and depressed mood during pregnancy between obese women and normal-weight women, (4) to examine whether a prenatal lifestyle intervention programme, based on principles of motivational interviewing, in obese pregnant women reduces GWG and lowers levels of anxiety and depressed mood during pregnancy, (5) to examine associations between inter-pregnancy weight change from the first to the second pregnancy and the risk for adverse perinatal outcomes during the second pregnancy and finally (6) to study predictors of postpartum weight retention (PPWR) in obese mothers at six months after delivery in order to provide clues for the design of interventions aimed at preventing weight retention related to childbearing.

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Congenital High Airway Obstruction Syndrome (CHAOS) is a potential lethal condition. We describe a case report of CHAOS, with additional malformations diagnosed at 20 weeks. Autopsy findings are suggestive for Fraser syndrome (cryptophthalmos-syndactyly syndrome; OMIM 219000).

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Objective: To examine the association between interpregnancy weight change and the risk for adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Methods: All live-born singleton births delivered at 21-42 weeks of gestation in women who had their first two consecutive births between 2009 and 2011 in Flanders (the northern part of Belgium) and who were included in the Study Center for Perinatal Epidemiology database (N=7,897) were included. Interpregnancy weight change was calculated as the difference between the prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) of the first pregnancy and the prepregnancy BMI of the second pregnancy.

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Background: The psychological health in obese women during pregnancy has been poorly studied.

Objective: To compare levels of anxiety and depressed mood during pregnancy in obese versus normal-weight women.

Methods: 63 obese pregnant women and 156 normal-weight controls were included prospectively before 15 weeks of gestation.

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Hydrometrocolpos, occurring in approximately 1/6000 newborn girls, can be caused by a stenotic urogenital sinus, a severe cloacal malformation, but also by other conditions such as an imperforate hymen, a midline vaginal septum and vaginal atresia. The prenatal differential diagnosis of this wide spectrum of conditions is not easy and requires a multidisciplinary approach with follow-up scans and MRI to access the severity of the condition. A non-consanguineous couple was referred in the first pregnancy at 30 weeks.

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Article Synopsis
  • Obesity rates are rising in developed countries, particularly among women of reproductive age, leading to complications during childbirth.
  • A literature review highlights the links between maternal obesity and longer pregnancies as well as issues with labor contractions.
  • The findings suggest that healthcare providers should adjust their clinical approach to better manage labor in obese patients.
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Objective: We aimed to describe the weight status of obese mothers 6 months after delivery and examine its relationship to important sociodemographical, behavioral, and psychological variables.

Design And Methods: Postpartum data from an interventional trial in obese pregnant women (n = 197), conducted in three regional hospitals, between March 2008 and June 2012, were available from 150 mothers. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥ 29 kg/m2.

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Objective: Lifestyle intervention could help obese pregnant women to limit their weight gain during pregnancy and improve their psychological comfort, but has not yet been evaluated in randomized controlled trials. We evaluated whether a targeted antenatal lifestyle intervention programme for obese pregnant women influences gestational weight gain (GWG) and levels of anxiety or depressed mood.

Design And Subjects: This study used a longitudinal interventional design.

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Both pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) are important determinants of a healthy pregnancy outcome and may show important variation. To study the influence of socio-demographic and obstetrical correlates on pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG, data of 54 022 singleton term pregnancies were analysed using adjusted regression models. In 2009, in the Northern region of Belgium, one-third of women were overweight (21.

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The prenatal diagnosis of fetal coarctation is still challenging. It is mainly suspected by ventricular disproportion (smaller left ventricle than right ventricle). The sensitivity of ventricular discrepancy is however moderate for the diagnosis of coarctation and there is a high false positive rate.

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A good pregnancy outcome is partly determined by a women's preconceptional health and healthy lifestyle. The access to prenatal care is good nowadays but the incidence of congenital malformations, preterm births, low birth weight and maternal mortality has not significantly declined over the years. Although most women of reproductive age have a gynecological examination every two years in Belgium, they are not often counseled before starting a pregnancy.

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Objective: To assess the prenatal diagnosis of skeletal dysplasias in a single center over a ten-years period.

Methods: All antenatal detected skeletal dysplasias during the period January 1st 1996 until December 31 2005 (10 years) were retrieved from the genetic database. This database includes all skeletal dysplasias where invasive prenatal diagnosis (chorionic villus sampling/amniocentesis) was performed.

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