Exploring the levels of persistent organic pollutants in umbilical cord blood and their connection to gestational age and birth weights in Sanliurfa, Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Controversy surrounds the impact of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) on fetal development. This study aimed to investigate levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in umbilical cord blood from Sanliurfa mothers in Turkey, exploring associations with gestational age and birth weight. METHODS: Participants included voluntary mothers pregnant with a single fetus, providing details on maternal factors. Cord blood samples were collected immediately after delivery. Samples were extracted with a modified QuEChERS method, and OCPs (17 pesticides) and PCBs (11 congeners) compound levels were analyzed with a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry. Detection frequencies and levels of POPs by single pollutant type and pollutant groups were calculated and compared according to gestational duration and birth weight. We used partial least squares discriminant analysis to identify the key chemicals and distinguish their respective statuses. RESULTS: Among 120 infants, 35 were preterm but appropriate for gestational age, 35 were term but small for gestational age (SGA), and 50 were term and appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Beta HCH, Oxy-Chlordan, and PCB 28, were not detected in cord blood samples. Half of the samples contained at least 4 types of OCPs, with a median OCP level of 38.44 ng/g. Among the DDT, 2,4'-DDE was found at the highest concentration in cord plasma samples. The PCB congeners with a frequency exceeding 50% were ranked in the following order: 151, 149, 138, 146. The median level of ∑PCBs was 5.93 ng/g. Male infants born at term with SGA status exhibited lower levels of ∑DDTs, ∑OCPs compared to male infants born preterm or at term with AGA status. Di-ortho-substituted PCBs and hexachlorinated PCBs were higher in male infants born at term with SGA status than male infants born preterm with AGA status. CONCLUSION: Overall, exposure to DDT and PCBs demonstrates varying effects depending on gestational duration and birth weight, with exposure levels also differing by gender. This underscores the necessity for studies across diverse populations that investigate the combined effects of multiple pollutant exposures on gestational age, birth weight, and gender simultaneously.

Effectiveness of short-term maintenance treatment with cabergoline in microadenoma-related and idiopathic hyperprolactinemia.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of short-term maintenance treatment with cabergoline and to find out minimum effective dosage of cabergoline during maintenance treatment for patients with microadenoma-related and idiopathic hyperprolactinemia. STUDY DESIGN: Cabergoline was administered orally at a dose of 0.5 mg twice per week to 164 de novo hyperprolactinemic patients until serum prolactin level normalized. After this initial treatment phase, patients started on maintenance phase for which they were previously randomized. No maintenance treatment (Group I, n = 36) or cabergoline 0.5 mg (Group II, n = 46), 0.25 mg (Group III, n = 39), 0.125 mg (Group IV, n = 43) was administered twice per week for 8 weeks as maintenance treatment. Then, maintenance phase was finalized and patients were followed up for 6 months. Mean serum prolactin levels through maintenance treatment phase and follow-up period were assessed between groups and within groups. RESULTS: Except for group I, all the groups showed a similar pattern with fast decrease of serum prolactine level during maintenance phase and slower increase during the follow-up period. Notably, the average prolactin level was significantly lower at the last follow-up visit than at the diagnosis time in all of the groups. Stable normoprolactinemia of the groups at the end of follow-up period were 47.2, 37, 48.7, and 34.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that short maintenance treatment in idiopathic and microadenoma-related hyperprolactinemia seems as effective as long maintenance treatment in the present study. But, further studies with larger study population and longer follow-up period are needed to make a decision about early treatment withdrawal. Also, during the maintenance treatment administration of medicine to patients should be tapered down to the lowest dose that will maintain prolactin levels normal.

Do asymptomatic patients require routine hemoglobin testing following uneventful, unplanned cesarean sections?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical usefulness of routine postoperative hemoglobin testing after unplanned, uneventful cesarean sections in low-risk women without any signs or symptoms of anemia and to identify possible risk factors for hemorrhage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the charts of all women who underwent non-elective and uneventful cesarean section over 12 months was performed and demographic data, estimated blood loss at surgery, pre- and post-operative hemoglobin values, postoperative symptoms suggesting anemia, and incidence of transfusion were tabulated. Statistical analysis was done with Student t test and Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: A total of 2,450 women were delivered during the study period among whom 743 of them (30.3%) underwent cesarean section. Among the cesarean sections, 421 (56.6%) were found to be unplanned and uneventful operations performed in low-risk women with no postoperative signs or symptoms for anemia. The mean preoperative hemoglobin of the low-risk asymptomatic women was 11.7+/-1.99 g/dl, whereas it was 11.24+/-1.99 g/dl, postoperatively (P<0.001). In 72% of the patients, there was a drop in hemoglobin concentrations, whereas 24.5% experienced an increase and 3.5% showed no change, postoperatively. Only one woman experienced a drop of greater than 30% in hemoglobin concentration. Since the woman did not show any signs of hemodynamic instability or symptoms of anemia, she was not transfused. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that routine hemoglobin testing following uneventful, unplanned cesarean section neither change postoperative management nor determine the patients requiring blood transfusion.