Risk factors for pre-eclampsia: a study in Tehran, Iran

This study evaluated some risk factors for pre-eclampsia, which is one of the most problematic complications of pregnancy. This was a retrospective case control study conducted on 318 pre-eclamptic women [case group] and 318 women who were normotensive at the time of delivery as the control group. Evaluated factors were: maternal age, gestational age, nuliparity, mother's educational status, maternal body mass index [BMI], maternal hemoglobin and blood Rh, familial history of pre-eclampsia, history of pre-eclampsia in a previous pregnancy, marital relations, urinary infection [UTI] during the present pregnancy, season of delivery, and method of contraception. Risk factors for pre-eclampsia were: UTI [P=0.04]; history of pre-eclampsia during previous pregnancy [P=0.003], and winter season [P=0.001]. Maternal age of more than 20 years, high educational status of mother, parity more than one, and oral contraceptive pills were protective for pre-eclampsia. After adjusting for all possible confounding factors using multiple logistic regression, only preexisting pre-eclampsia [P=0.004] was a risk factor, whereas parity more than three [P=0.007] and anemia [P=0.01] were protective for pre-eclampsia. The rate of cesarean delivery was more common in the pre-eclamptic group [245 cases, 77%] than the control group [85 cases, 26.7%]. The one minute Apgar scored neonates less than 8 was more common in the case group [28.6% vs. 47.4%, P<0.001]. Gestational age at the time of delivery was lower in the case group [36.48 +/- 3.4 weeks vs. 37.12 +/- 3.3 weeks, P<0.001]. Awareness of risk factors of pre-eclampsia can help to monitor patients, ensure earlier diagnosis and predict which patients are more likely to develop pre-eclampsia

Association between lamellar body count and respiratory distress in neonates

Assessment of fetal lung maturity by a simple and rapid test has a pivotal role in obstetric managements. Lack of modern laboratory techniques in our country made us investigate whether lamellar body count [LBC] can be applied efficiently in the evaluation of fetal lung maturity. Lamellar body count was assessed in 104 unspun amniotic fluid samples taken from pregnant women admitted at Akbar Abadi Hospital, Tehran, Iran between May 2003 and November 2003 whose fetuses were at risk for respiratory distress syndrome [RDS]. Cut-off points for LBC were determined to evaluate the risk of RDS. Standard clinical and radiographic criteria were used to diagnose RDS. An LBC of less than 10,000 was 99.1% specific for lung immaturity [positive predictive value = 99.1%, negative predictive value = 83.5%]. The LBCs of greater than 45,000 eliminates RDS [negative predictive value = 98.9%]. Lamellar body count is an easy, rapid and cost-effective test to assess fetal lung maturity in high-risk fetuses. Using the cut-off points of 10,000 and 45,000, LBC can serve as the first screening test of fetal lung maturity