Maternity Center Research Articles

Contribution of Pelvic Ultrasonography in Perimenopausal Abnormal Uterine Bleeding

Background: About 70% of gynecological consultations for women in perimenopause are due to metrorrhagia. In most cases, they are only the witness of hormonal disturbances resulting from a luteal deficiency. Transvaginal ultrasound is the first innocuous and available additional examination that is requested as part of an etiological assessment. Objective: Our study aims to evaluate the contribution of ultrasonography in perimenopausal metrorrhagia and investigate possible clinical-ultrasound correlation. Methods: This analytical descriptive study was carried out on 50 treated for perimenopausal metrorrhagia in the emergency department of the Tunis Maternity and Neonatology Center for four months (November 1, 2017, to February 28, 2018). We included in our study patients who were not yet postmenopausal who were ≥ 45 years of age, and who sought care for breakthrough bleeding. All patients in our study initially underwent endovaginal ultrasonography, sometimes coupled with suprapubic ultrasonography. Results: The mean age of our patients was 46.3 years. Pelvic ultrasonography revealed an enlarged uterus in 16 patients (32%), with 14 of them having fibromatous uteri measuring between 3 to 10 centimeters. The findings indicate no significant correlation between ultrasound results and bleeding abundance (P = 0.321), pelvic pain (P = 0.108), and general condition (P = 0.437). Conclusion: Endovaginal pelvic ultrasonography is a quick, painless test and is the first test to be done first in an emergency department with perimenopausal vaginal bleeding. The correlation between clinical and ultrasound findings is highly random, making it impossible to assume a well-- coded diagnostic and therapeutic presumption.

Mistreatment in healthcare: peripartum experience in a Tunisian maternity

BackgroundMistreatment in healthcare is defined by the set of behaviors, acts, and omissions committed by the healthcare providers on patients. Pregnant women can be exposed to this behavior during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. It can have several aspects and affects the women's mental health, social and professional life, and also their newborns and families. ObjectiveThis study was made to estimate the frequency of mistreatment during the peripartum period in a Tunisian maternity unit, determine its impact on the parturient and her entourage, and draw up recommendations for the prevention of this public health problem. Study DesignWe conducted a cross-sectional survey in Department C of the Tunis Maternity and Neonatology Center from July 2022 to September 30, 2022. Our questionnaire encompassed verbal and physical abuse, patient information, consent, unprofessional conduct, poor communication, and discrimination. ResultsThis study included 400 patients. The average age was 29.3+–5.65. Single women represented 12.3% of the cases. Seventy-five percent of women reported having been victims of at least one type of violence during childbirth. Verbal abuse was the most frequent type observed. Eighty-two percent of women reported verbal abuse, while 23.25% underwent physical violence. After the delivery, 391 women (97.8%) stated that the delivery was a source of anxiety and that they were not ready to repeat the experience. Six of them were followed up in psychiatry. Mistreatment was expressed by a lack of information and/or respect for consent, unprofessional conduct, or poor communication between the caregiver and the patient. ConclusionThis study emphasizes the significance of including women in decision-making processes regarding their care. Establishing systematic approaches for providing information and obtaining consent is crucial, ensuring a dynamic approach that promotes women's freedom of choice.

Effect of a lower dose of intrathecal morphine on postoperative opioid consumption following cesarean delivery at a Texas level IV maternal care center

Background We hypothesized that patients who received a lower dose of intrathecal morphine (ITM) would have higher postoperative opioid consumption following cesarean delivery. Methods Patients who had cesarean deliveries from February 15, 2022, through February 14, 2024 at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple with single injection spinal or combined spinal epidural anesthesia who did not have labor epidural anesthesia were included. Morphine milligram equivalent (MME) opioid consumption in the first 24 postoperative hours was recorded along with patient demographic, physical, and clinical characteristics. Results A total of 535 and 502 patients received 0.2 and 0.15 mg ITM, respectively. Patients who received 0.15 mg ITM had higher rates of depression, scheduled cesarean deliveries, and acetaminophen administration compared to patients who received 0.2 mg ITM. Patients who received 0.2 mg ITM and 0.15 mg ITM had median (interquartile range) 24-hour MME consumption of 10.0 mg (0–30.0 mg) and 10.0 mg (0–40.0 mg), respectively (P = 0.97). Discussion MME consumption for 24 hours following cesarean delivery was similar between patients who received 0.2 and 0.15 mg ITM.

Dynamic Indicators of the Pulmonology Department of the National Center of Maternity and Child Health care for 2021-2023 Years

The article presents the materials of the reporting data on the therapeutic and diagnostic activities of the Department of pulmonology over the past 3-5 years. A comparative analysis of the department's work before and after the pandemic was carried out. The reasons for the increase in hospitalization in the Department of pulmonology over the past 3 years.

Invasive Micropapillary Carcinoma of the Breast: Comparison of Clinical, Epidemiological, Anatomopathological and Therapeutic Features with Infiltrating Carcinoma of Non-Specific Type

Invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMCC) is a rare histological subtype of invasive breast cancer, its frequency ranges from 1.0 to 8.4% of all breast cancer cases. It is identified as a particularly aggressive tumor since frequent invasion of vessels, skin and lymph nodes is often reported. The aim of the work is to describe and compare the epidemiological, clinical, anatomopathological and molecular aspects of CMPI compared to CINS. Compare the overall survival of the two groups in order to identify the prognostic factors for CMPI. This is a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study spread over 6 years from January 2015 to December 2020, involving all cases of CMPI and CINS of the breast collected at the Obstetrics and Gynecology department of the Maternity and Neonatology Center of Monastir. The frequency found was 5.5% for CMPI and 72.69% for CINS. In our series we found the average age to be more advanced in CINS compared to CMPI without having a statistically significant difference (p=0.49). CMPI tends to be slightly larger than CINS with an average size of 3.7 compared to 3 for CINS. The right breast was the predominant tumor site for the 2 types of cancer p=0.71. CMPI presents a higher frequency of locoregional ADP and vascular emboli with p=0.001. Distant metastases were more frequent in CINS but without having a statistically significant difference. The overall survival of CMPI is 76% versus 86.4%. % of CINS. CMPI represents a particular variety of breast carcinomas; in this study we tried to dissect its different epidemiological, clinical, radiological and therapeutic characteristics which were largely in agreement with the literature.

Exploring predictors of interaction among low-birth-weight infants and their caregivers: a machine learning–based random forest approach

BackgroundQuality caregiver-infant interaction is crucial for infant growth, health, and development. Traditional methods for evaluating the quality of caregiver-infant interaction have predominantly relied on rating scales or observational techniques. However, rating scales are prone to inaccuracies, while observational techniques are resource-intensive. The utilization of easily collected medical records in conjunction with machine learning techniques offers a promising and viable strategy for accurate and efficient assessment of caregiver-infant interaction quality.MethodsThis study was conducted at a follow-up outpatient clinic at two tertiary maternal and infant health centers located in Shanghai, China. 68 caregivers and their 3-15-month-old infants were videotaped for 3–5 min during playing interactions in non-threatening environment. Two trained experts utilized the Infant CARE-Index (ICI) procedure to assess whether the caregivers were sensitive or not in a dyadic context. This served as the gold standard. Predictors were collected through Health Information Systems (HIS) and questionnaires, which included accessible features such as demographic information, parental coping ability, infant neuropsychological development, maternal depression, parent-infant interaction, and infant temperament. Four classification models with fivefold cross-validation and grid search hyperparameter tuning techniques were employed to yield prediction metrics. Interpretable analyses were conducted to explain the results.ResultsThe score of sensitive caregiver-infant interaction was 6.34 ± 2.62. The Random Forest model gave the best accuracy (83.85%±6.93%). Convergent findings identified infant age, care skills of infants, mother age, infant temperament-regulatory capacity, birth weight, positive coping, health-care-knowledge-of-infants, type of caregiver, MABIS-bonding issues, ASQ-Fine Motor as the strongest predictors of interaction sensitivity between infants and their caregiver.ConclusionsThe proposed method presents a promising and efficient approach that synergistically combines rating scales and artificial technology to detect important features of caregiver-infant interactions. This novel approach holds several implications for the development of automatic computational assessment tools in the field of nursing studies.

The vaginal metabolomics profile with features of polycystic ovary syndrome: a pilot investigation in China.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common metabolic disorder and reproductive endocrine disease, posing an elevated risk to women of reproductive age. Although metabolism differences in serum, amniotic fluid and urine have been documented in PCOS, there remains a paucity of evidence for vaginal fluid. This study aimed to identify the metabolic characteristics and potential biomarkers of PCOS in Chinese women of reproductive age. We involved ten newly diagnosed PCOS women who attended gynecology at Zhongda Hospital and matched them with ten healthy controls who conducted health check-up programs at Gulou Maternal and Child Health Center in Nanjing, China from January 1st, 2019 to July 31st, 2020. Non-targeted metabolomics based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was applied to differentially screen vaginal metabolites between PCOS group and healthy controls. Principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and enrichment analysis were used to observe differences, search for potential biomarkers and enrich related pathways. Among the 20 participants, a total of 195 different metabolites were detected between PCOS group and healthy control group. PCOS and control groups were effectively separated by vaginal fluid. Lipids and lipid-like molecules constituted the majority of differential metabolites. Notably, dopamine exhibited an increased trend in PCOS group and emerged as the most significant differential metabolite, suggesting its potential as a biomarker for identifying PCOS. The application of UHPLC-MS/MS based vaginal metabolomics methods showed significant differences between PCOS and non-PCOS healthy control groups, especially linoleic acid metabolism disorder. Most differential metabolites were enriched in pathways associated with linoleic acid metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism or arachidonic acid metabolism. In this pilot investigation, significant metabolomics differences could be obtained between PCOS and healthy control groups. For PCOS women of reproductive age, vaginal metabolism is a more economical, convenient and harmless alternative to provide careful personalized health diagnosis and potential targets for therapeutic intervention.

Epidemiology of congenital malformations in Tunisian liveborns: a retrospective study

Objective: To identify the various congenital malformations in liveborns in the neonatology service within the center of maternity and neonatology of Tunis (CMNT). Methods: This is a retrospective study of liveborns with congenital malformations hospitalized during one year from 1rst January to 31 December 2016. Results: The profile of malformations was dominated by polymalformations (22.29%), followed by chromosomal aberrations (21.14%), cardiovascular malformations (16.00%), and system nervous malformations (11.43%). Comparisons of liveborns and parental characteristics between all congenital malformations subtypes have shown significant differences in liveborns sex, consanguinity, and maternal age. Comparisons between malformed newborns and malformed fetuses have shown significant differences in consanguinity, rhesus type, maternal origin and parity. Conclusion: It seems important to set a careful surveillance of pregnancies at risk of developing congenital anomalies, systematic supplementation of vitamins and folic acid, and a national registry of congenital malformations. Keywords: Congenital malformations; liveborns; risk factors; prevention; Tunisia.

Neonatal birthweight prediction using two- and three-dimensional estimated fetal weight among borderline small fetuses.

This study aimed (1) to determine the degree of correlation between 2D and 3D estimated fetal weight (EFW) and neonatal birth weight (BW) among borderline small fetuses and (2) to compare the accuracy and precision of 2D and 3D EFW in BW prediction. A retrospective cohort study evaluated fetuses who had an ultrasound performed between January 2017 and September 2021 at a tertiary maternal center. All singleton pregnancies with 3D EFW within 4 weeks of delivery were included. Fetuses with known structural or genetic abnormalities were excluded. Pearson's correlation coefficients were determined for both 2D and 3D EFW to BW then compared using Williams' test and Fisher r to z transformation, where applicable. Mean percent difference and standard deviation were used to assess the accuracy and precision, respectively, of 2D and 3D EFWs in BW prediction. Two hundred forty-eight pregnancies were included. Ultrasound studies were performed with a median interval of 2 weeks (IQR 1, 3) between ultrasound and delivery. Both 2D and 3D estimated fetal weights showed a significant correlation with birth weight (r = 0.74 and r = 0.73, respectively), indicating similar accuracy between the two techniques. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional EFWs performed similarly in the prediction of BW in borderline small fetuses.

MIDWIFERY SERVICE MANAGERS’ READINESS FOR PREVENTION OF OBSTETRIC VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA: A COMMUNITY READINESS MODEL

Obstetric violence is a public health problem that needs to be prevented at all levels to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes. The midwifery service managers, as custodians of patient care in maternity centres are in a prime position to develop and implement effective obstetric violence prevention interventions. This study explored the midwifery service managers’ level of readiness for the prevention of Obstetric Violence in three maternity centres at three separate hospitals in Oyo State, Nigeria. Data was collected from six midwifery service managers as midwifery community leaders, using the adapted Community Readiness Model as a data collection tool. The Community Readiness Model scoring guide was used to score the six dimensions of community readiness. In addition, a thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data from their views on each of the six dimensions of the Community Readiness Model. The findings revealed an overall level of readiness for the prevention of obstetric violence among midwifery service managers was at level five which is the preparatory level. This means that the community has a modest readiness for Obstetric violence prevention, and it would be easier to develop sustainable prevention interventions for obstetric violence. Understanding the midwifery service managers’ level of readiness for the prevention of obstetric violence is important for governments and other stakeholders intending to develop obstetric violence prevention interventions that are contextually appropriate and acceptable to communities.

Relationship of Serum Nesfatin-1 and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Levels with Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

To investigate the relationship between serum nesfatin-1 and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Observational study. Place and Duration of the Study: The study was performed from June 2021 to 2023 in the General Gynaecology section at the Maternity & Child Care Center of Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China. A total of 120 pregnant women with PCOS were divided into the control and study groups. The control group consisted of 70 pregnant women who successfully delivered healthy newborns, whereas the study group included 50 pregnant women who experienced APOs. The serum nesfatin-1 and IGF-1 levels in both groups were measured upon admission. The potential influencing factors of APOs in pregnant women with PCOS and the predictive value of serum nesfatin-1 and IGF-1 for APOs were analysed. Serum nesfatin-1 and IGF-1 levels were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group (p <0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that testosterone ≥45μg/L, body mass index ≥25kg/m², waist-hip ratio ≥0.80, gestational diabetes mellitus, nesfatin-1, and IGF-1 were independent risk factors of APOs in patients with PCOS. The AUC for IGF-1 plus nesfatin-1 in predicting APOs in pregnant women with PCOS was 0.900 (95% CI: 0.845, 0.955). Elevated serum nesfatin-1 and IGF-1 levels are associated with pregnancy outcomes of patients with PCOS. Polycystic ovary syndrome, Nesfatin-1, Insulin-like growth factor-1, Adverse pregnancy outcome.

Obstetric psychoprophylaxis and duration of the active phase dilation period: A relational study

Objective: To identify the correlation between obstetric psychoprophylaxis and the duration of the active phase dilation period in pregnant women at the Centro Materno Infantil Daniel Alcides Carrión, Lima – 2019. Materials and methods: Non-experimental cross-sectional study. a documentary review was carried out and was complemented with the application of two data collection forms as an instrument, considering as variables the clinical history, age, number of pregnancies, number of prenatal care, gestational age at the first obstetric psychoprophylaxis session and the number of psychoprophylaxis sessions recorded. Results: The study included 165 medical records of pregnant women whose deliveries were attended at the daniel alcides carrión maternal and child center in lima during 2019, from which it was found that 69.09 % of the pregnant women ranged from 18 to 29 years of age; 77. 58 % of them were multiparous, 69 % showed more than 3 prenatal care, 91 % started their first obstetric psychoprophylaxis session between 28 to 37 weeks, 55.76 % had 4 to 6 obstetric psychoprophylaxis sessions and 68 % had a duration of up to 6 hours in the dilation period – active phase. Conclusions: Obstetric psychoprophylaxis has shown a significant level of incidence with respect to the duration of the active phase dilation period, demonstrating the benefit obtained by the pregnant woman during labor.

Identifying risk factors for urologic complications in placenta accreta spectrum surgical management.

To describe urologic complications associated with the surgical management of placenta accreta spectrum and determine their risk factors. A retrospective study was conducted on all patients diagnosed with abnormal invasive placentation who underwent surgery and delivered between 2002 and 2023 at a single expert maternity centre. Intra-operative and post-operative complications were described, with a special focus on urologic intra-operative injuries, including vesical or ureteral injuries. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine risk factors of intra-operative urologic injuries associated with placenta accreta spectrum surgical management. Additionally, using the Clavien-Dindo classification, the effects of intra-operative urologic injury and ureteral stent placement on post-operative outcome were evaluated. A total of 216 patients were included, of which 47 (21.48%) had an intra-operative bladder and/or ureteral injury. Placenta percreta was associated with a higher rate of intra-operative urologic injury than placenta accreta (72.34% vs. 6.38%, p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses showed that patients who had placenta percreta and bladder invasion or emergency hysterectomy were associated with more intra-operative urologic injuries (OR = 8.07, 95% CI [2.44-26.75] and OR = 3.87, 95% CI [1.09-13.72], respectively). Patients with intra-operative urologic injuries had significantly more severe post-operative complications, which corresponds to a Clavien-Dindo score of 3 or more, at 90 days (21.28% vs. 5.92%, p = 0.004). Surgical management of placenta accreta spectrum is associated with significant urologic morbidity, with a major impact on post-operative outcomes. Urologic complications seem to be correlated with the depth of invasion and the emergency of the hysterectomy.

Implementing an early-life nutrition intervention through primary healthcare: staff perspectives

BackgroundNutrition interventions targeting early childhood can be cost-effective and may provide lifelong, intergenerational benefits. From October 2022 to April 2023 the Nutrition Now (NN) e-learning resource was implemented within Early Childhood Education and Care centres and the Maternal and Child Healthcare Centre (MCHC) in a southern Norwegian municipality. As part of the NN project, the present study aims to explore the MCHC staff’s experiences with implementing the NN resource, to gain insights into measures important to scale up digital early-life nutrition interventions.MethodsThree group interviews were conducted among public health nurses and midwives alongside one individual interview with the department leader of a MCHC in May 2023. An inductive thematic analysis, as described by Braun and Clarke, was conducted to generate the key themes and subthemes regarding the implementation process of NN within the MCHC.ResultsThree main themes were generated: [1] Important resource but not always utilized; [2] Parents are interested but had issues with access; and [3] Staff and stakeholder buy-in and commitment needed from the start. Overall, the staff viewed the NN resource as a potential tool for promoting diet-related topics and believed it could support the guidance they were already providing parents. However, few staff members fully familiarized themselves with the resource. While staff perceived parents as positive when informed about NN, they believed issues such as access challenges, competing platforms, and time constraints reduced parental engagement. Lastly, staff suggested improvements for NN’s implementation, including enhanced training, better planning, assigning champions, and lowering the threshold for access.ConclusionThe findings of this study suggest that the real-world implementation of digital evidence-based health behaviour interventions is feasible but would be enhanced by employing strategies focusing on engagement and utilization.Trial registrationThe main study is registered in the ISRCTN registry with ID ISRCTN10694967, https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN10694967. (Registration date: 19-06-2022).

State and Development Prospects of the Maternal and Childhood Care Service of the Kyrgyz Republic

The National Center for Maternity and Childhood Care (NCMCC), operating under the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic is a premier institution dedicated to the advanced treatment, diagnostics, and overall healthcare of women and children. As a tertiary-level center, NCMCC plays a pivotal role in organizational, methodological, educational, and scientific endeavors related to maternal and child health. In alignment with its mandate, the NCMCC develops and implements comprehensive programs focusing on the prevention, early detection, and treatment of diseases. These initiatives are crucial in reducing maternal and infant mortality rates and promoting a healthy lifestyle among children and their parents. Furthermore, the center ensures the organized provision of essential medicines, specialized medical nutrition products, and other medical supplies for children.

Preoperative Multidisciplinary Team Huddle Improves Communication and Safety for Unscheduled Cesarean Deliveries: A System Redesign Using Improvement Science.

Optimal communication between care teams is a critical component in providing safe, timely, and appropriate patient care. Labor and delivery (L&D) units experience rapidly changing clinical scenarios often requiring escalation in care and unplanned cesarean deliveries (CDs). The University of Cincinnati Medical Center (UCMC) is a 550-bed academic level 4 maternal care center with a 13-bed L&D unit in Cincinnati, OH. There are approximately 2500 deliveries/y with a CD rate of 33%. The L&D unit is staffed with dedicated anesthesia personnel 24 hours a day. In our L&D unit, there was widespread dissatisfaction with multidisciplinary communication surrounding unscheduled CD. Near-miss safety events in our obstetric unit were attributed to preoperative communication failures. Initial surveys identified challenges in preoperative communication among nursing, anesthesiology, and obstetric teams leading to potential risk for compromised care. Using the UC Health Performance Improvement Way, we first sought to understand the process leading up to unscheduled CD. Change ideas were developed based on observed failures in communication. Interventions were tested and refined through iterative plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles. One key intervention was the introduction of a bedside, multidisciplinary, patient-centered, pre-CD huddle attended by nursing, anesthesia, and obstetrics representatives using a standard checklist for critical information. Qualitative patient feedback was elicited to inform change efforts. We compared patient and procedure characteristics from the baseline and huddle implementation phases. Our primary outcome measure was the satisfaction of care team members with communication around unscheduled CD. A secondary outcome was the general anesthesia (GA) rate for unscheduled CD. Our key process measure was adherence to the preoperative huddle. We tracked decision-to-incision interval (DTI) as a balancing measure. Huddle adherence reached 96% for unscheduled CD within 6 months of testing and implementation. A combined survey of anesthesia, nursing, and obstetrics showed that satisfaction scores related to unscheduled CD communication improved from 3.3/5 to 4.7/5 after huddle implementation. The rate of GA use and the median DTI remained unchanged. Patients felt more engaged and reported positive experiences by being a part of the huddle discussion. In an academic obstetric unit, communication failures surrounding unscheduled CD were identified as a contributor to staff dissatisfaction and perception of safety risk. Implementation of a bedside multidisciplinary pre-CD huddle improved communication between teams and contributed to creating a culture of safety without causing significant delays in care.

Seeking the optimal gestational weight gain according to the pre-pregnancy body mass index: a cross-sectional study from Shanghai, China.

Maternal nutritional status is closely related to fetal intrauterine development and an abnormal birth weight increases various disease risks across life stages. To better guide pregnancy weight gain, we aimed to explore the optimal weight gain for pregnant women with different body mass indexes (BMIs). This retrospective cohort study included 68,981 women with singleton live birth between January 2017 and October 2021 in maternity centres in Shanghai, China. The fluctuations of the incidence of small and large for gestational age (small for gestational age (SGA) and LGA, respectively) were recorded at different maternal pre-pregnancy BMI (p-BMI) and different gestational weight gain (GWG) groups to find the lowest point of abnormal fetal weight incidence. The optimal GWG was then determined using a linear regression equation. The lowest risk of LGA/SGA was associated with a maternal p-BMI of 19.46 kg/m2. For pregnant women with maternal p-BMI below 24 kg/m2, we confirmed an optimal GWG linear equation: opt GWG (kg) = -1.94 × p-BMI (kg/m²) + 51, which showed an excellent degree of fit. Women who were overweight and obese could not achieve the lowest risk of LGA/SGA despite controlling their GWG; hence, their BMI should be normalized before pregnancy. By merely using the pre-pregnancy BMI, this study has established the optimal GWG equation, with the goal of achieving the appropriate fetal gestational age. It is a practical measure to ensure desirable pregnancy outcomes and meet the health economics requirements.

Risk factors associated with respiratory distress syndrome in late preterm infants.

To investigate the risk factors for neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) in late preterm infants. A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 86 late preterm infants with a gestational age of 34-36+6 weeks who were admitted to Maternity & Child Care Center of Qinhuangdao from June 2022 to June 2023 and with complete clinical records. All enrolled infants were divided into the non-NRDS group(n=51) and the NRDS group(n=35) according to the presence or absence of NRDS. No statistically significant differences were observed in birth weight, gestational age and gravidity between the two groups(p>0.05), while there were statistically significant differences in fetal gender, mode of delivery and presence or absence of asphyxia(p<0.05). Moreover, no statistically significant differences were found in advanced maternal age, anemia, multiple births, and gestational hypertension(p>0.05), while there were statistically significant differences in placental abnormalities, intrauterine distress, premature rupture of membranes, and gestational diabetes mellitus(p<0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that fetal gender(male), placental abnormalities, intrauterine distress, premature rupture of membranes, and gestational diabetes mellitus were risk factors for NRDS in late preterm infants(p<0.05). Late preterm infants suffer from NRDS due to a variety of complex pathogenic causes, with numerous complications. Factors such as male fetal gender, placental abnormalities, intrauterine distress, premature rupture of membranes, and gestational diabetes mellitus may increase the risk of NRDS in late preterm infants. In clinical observation, it is necessary to strengthen monitoring efforts and take timely measures to intervene in the course of NRDS.

Risk factors and clinical features of pre-eclampsia in Iranian and Afghan mothers: A comparative study.

To assess variations in the presentation and clinical implications of pre-eclampsia between Iranian and Afghan mothers at a maternity center in Tehran. We conducted a cross-sectional study of Iranian and Afghan mothers diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. Data were collected from March 2021 to February 2023 at a maternity center in Tehran, Iran. Demographic information, clinical characteristics, and laboratory findings were extracted from medical records. Statistical analyses were employed to compare differences between Iranian and Afghan mothers, including Mann-Whitney U, Pearson χ2 tests, and logistic regression models. We included 822 pregnant women with pre-eclampsia, predominantly Iranian (75.5%) and Afghan (24.5%). Regarding the multivariate logistic regression model, Iranian mothers were older, with a higher proportion over 35 years. Although Afghan mothers showed higher gravidity counts and greater gestational ages at delivery, they had lower rates of hypothyroidism. Iranian women were more often categorized as obese than Afghan women, and the difference was statistically significant. Serum levels of alkaline phosphatase were significantly greater in Afghan women. Pre-eclampsia poses significant maternal health risks, especially among Afghan refugees in Iran. Variances in age, gravidity, and hypothyroidism prevalence highlight the need for tailored healthcare strategies. Addressing cultural barriers and implementing targeted interventions can improve maternal and fetal outcomes in these populations.

Effectiveness of the modified WHO labour care guide to detect prolonged and obstructed labour among women admitted at publicly funded facilities in rural Mbarara district, Southwestern Uganda: an ambispective cohort study.

Obstructed labour, a sequel of prolonged labour, remains a significant contributor to maternal and perinatal deaths in low- and middle-income countries. We evaluated the modified World Health Organization (WHO) Labour Care Guide (LCG) in detecting prolonged and or obstructed labour, and other delivery outcomes compared with a traditional partograph at publicly-funded maternity centers of rural Mbarara district and City, Southwestern Uganda. Since November 2023, we deployed the LCG for use in monitoring labour by trained healthcare providers across all maternity centers in Mbarara district/City. We systematically randomized a total of six health center IIIs (HCIIIs) out of 11, and all health center IVs (HCIVs), reviewed all their patient labour monitoring records for their first quarter of 2024 (LCG-intervention) and 2023 (partograph-before LCG introduction). Our primary outcome was the proportion of women diagnosed with prolonged and or obstructed labour. Our secondary outcomes included; tool completion, mode of delivery, labour augmentation, stillbirths, maternal deaths, Apgar score, uterine rupture, postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). Data was collected in RedCap and analyzed using STATA version 17. Statistical significance was considered at p<0.05. A total of 2,011 women were registered; 991 (49.3%) monitored using the LCG, and 1,020 (50.7%) using a partograph, 87% (1,741/2011) delivered from HCIVs and 270/2011 (13%) from HCIIIs. Mean maternal age (25.9; SD=5.6) and mean gestation age (39.4; SD=1.8) were similar between the two groups. A total of 120 (12.4%) cases of prolonged/obstructed labour were diagnosed (100 for LCG versus 20 for partograph), with the LCG having six times higher odds to detect/diagnose prolonged/obstructed labour compared to the partograph (aOR=5.94; CI 95% 3.63-9.73, P<0.001). Detection of obstructed labour alone increased to 12-fold with the LCG compared to the partograph (aOR=11.74; CI 95% 3.55-38.74, P<0.001). We also observed increased Caesarean section rates (aOR=6.12; CI 4.32-8.67, P<0.001), augmentation of labour (aOR=3.11; CI 95% 1.81-5.35, P<0.001), and better Apgar Score at 5 minutes (aOR=2.29; CI 95% 1.11-5.77, P=0.025). The tool completion rate was better for LCG compared to (58.5% versus 46.3%), aOR=2.11; CI 95% 1.08-5.44, P<0.001. We observed no differences in stillbirths, maternal deaths, post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) and uterine rupture. Our data shows that LCG diagnosed more cases of prolonged and or obstructed labour compared to the partograph among women delivering at rural publicly funded facilities in Mbarara city/district. We also observed increased C-sections, labour augmentation, and 5-minute Apgar scores. There were no differences in stillbirths, maternal deaths, PPH and uterine rupture. More controlled and powered studies should evaluate the two tools for other delivery outcomes, in different sub-populations.Trial registration number NCT05979194 clinical trials.gov.