Association between arterial stiffness and wave reflection with subsequent development of placental-mediated diseases during pregnancy: findings of a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We present a comprehensive systematic review of published literature to examine, whether arterial stiffness and wave reflection measurements during pregnancy differed between healthy patients and patients with placental-mediated diseases including preeclampsia (PET), small for gestational age (SGA), fetal death, and placental abruption, and a quantitative assessment of the findings using the meta-analysis approach. METHODS: We searched Medline, Embase, and The Cochrane Library for studies of arterial stiffness in pregnancy, analyzed pregnancy outcomes and conducted the meta-analysis of data evaluated by trimesters of pregnancy. Hemodynamic parameters evaluated included: pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (AIx), and augmentation index-75 (AIx-75). RESULTS: We screened 2806 citations, reviewed 36 studies and included nine (n = 15 923) studies for further quantitative assessment. Compared with healthy pregnancy, measures of arterial stiffness and wave reflection were consistently increased among pregnant women who subsequently developed PET during all trimesters. In the first trimester, mean AIx-75 (%) in the PET group was significantly higher with estimated standardized mean difference (SMD) of 0.90 [95% confidence intervals (95% CI) 0.07-1.73; P = 0.034]. In the second trimester, the PET group had significantly higher PWV (m/s) with estimated SMD of 1.26 (95% CI 0.22-2.30; P = 0.018). Concerning the SGA group, mean AIx (%) was greater during the second trimester only: 65.5 (SD 15.6) vs. 57.0 (11.2), P < 0.01. CONCLUSION: There is significant increase in arterial stiffness and wave reflection parameters among pregnant women who subsequently developed PET and SGA fetuses. Larger studies with consistent methodological designs are required to evaluate the role and usefulness of arterial stiffness and wave reflection measurements as a screening tool for placental-mediated diseases during pregnancy.

Predicting Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH) during Cesarean Delivery Using the Leicester PPH Predict Tool: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to develop a toolkit combining various risk factors to predict the risk of developing a postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) during a cesarean delivery. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study of 24,230 women who had cesarean delivery between January 2003 and December 2013 at a tertiary care teaching hospital within the United Kingdom serving a multiethnic population. Data were extracted from hospital databases, and risk factors for PPH were identified. Hothorn et al recursive partitioning algorithm was used to infer a conditional decision tree. For each of the identified combinations of risk factors, two probabilities were calculated: the probability of a patient producing ≥1,000 and ≥ 2,000 mL blood loss. RESULTS: The Leicester PPH predict score was then tested on the randomly selected remaining 25% (n = 6,095) of the data for internal validity. Reliability testing showed an intraclass correlation of 0.98 and mean absolute error of 239.8 mL with the actual outcome. CONCLUSION: The proposed toolkit enables clinicians to predict the risk of postpartum hemorrhage. As a result, preventative measures for postpartum hemorrhage could be undertaken. Further external validation of the current toolkit is required.

Effectiveness of vaginal breech birth training strategies: An integrative review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: The safety of vaginal breech birth depends on the skill of the attendant. The objective of this review was to identify, synthesize, and report the findings of evaluated breech birth training strategies. METHODS: A systematic search of the following on-line databases: Medline, CINAHL Plus, PsychINFO, EBM Reviews/Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Maternity and Infant Care, and Pubmed, using a structured search strategy. Studies were included in the review if they evaluated the efficacy of a breech birth training program or particular strategies, including obstetric emergency training evaluations that reported differentiated outcomes for breech. Out of 1040 original citings, 303 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, and 17 methodologically diverse studies met the inclusion criteria. A data collection form was used to extract relevant information. Data were synthesized, using an evaluation levels framework, including reaction, learning (subjective and objective assessment), and behavioral change. RESULTS: No evaluations included clinical outcome data. Improvements in self-assessed skill and confidence were not associated with improvements in objective assessments or behavioral change. Inclusion of breech birth as part of an obstetric emergencies training package without support in practice was negatively associated with subsequent attendance at vaginal breech births. CONCLUSIONS: As a result of the heterogeneity of the studies available, and the lack of evidence concerning neonatal or maternal outcomes, no conclusive practice recommendations can be made. However, the studies reviewed suggest that vaginal breech birth training may be enhanced by reflection, repetition, and experienced clinical support in practice. Further evaluation studies should prioritize clinical outcome data.

Bilirubin influences the clinical presentation of pre-eclampsia.

OBJECTIVES: Pre-eclampsia is a placental, inflammatory disease modified by maternal anti-oxidant status to give a syndrome. In its most severe forms pre-eclampsia is followed by maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. Bilirubin is a known antioxidant and as such is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Hence we aimed to find an association between maternal bilirubin levels and the clinical severity of the disease. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective observational study of 50,712 pregnancies, 925 of which had pre-eclampsia (1999-2010), to examine the association between bilirubin level and perinatal outcome. RESULTS: In women with pre-eclampsia, those with bilirubin levels in the lowest quintile were more likely to require caesarean section (p=0.001, aOR 2.59 (1.52-5.72)). The lowest quintile of bilirubin levels is associated with an increased risk of poor maternal (p=0.002, aOR 3.52 (95%CI 1.6-7.7)) and infant/fetal (p=0.001, OR=3.05 (95%CI=1.63-5.72)) outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Low levels of bilirubin were associated with poor maternal and infant outcomes in women diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. Bilirubin may act as an anti-oxidant in this condition and thus modify the disease.

Comparison of electromyographic recordings during labor in women with an anterior or posterior placenta.

We sought to determine whether placental implantation site affects electromyographic (EMG) recordings of uterine activity in labor. We performed a prospective study of women randomly selected on admission to labor ward. There were acceptable recordings in 36 women, 18 in both the posterior and anterior placenta groups. There were 12 unacceptable recordings. This was mainly due to poor electrode contact. There was no difference in amplitude, frequency, activity integral, total activity integral, or power density in either group. EMG can be used to quantify uterine activity irrespective of placental position.