Retrospective study 2005-2015 of all cases of fetal death occurred at ≥23 gestational weeks, in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy.

BACKGROUND: Intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) is a tragic event and, despite efforts to reduce rates, its incidence remains difficult to reduce. The objective of the present study was to examine the etiological factors that contribute to the main causes and conditions associated with IUFD, over an 11-year period in a region of North-East Italy (Friuli Venezia Giulia) for which reliable data in available. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of all 278 IUFD cases occurred between 2005 and 2015 in pregnancies with gestational age ≥ 23 weeks. RESULTS: The incidence of IUFD was 2.8‰ live births. Of these, 30% were small for gestational age (SGA), with immigrant women being significantly over-represented. The share of SGA reached 35% in cases in which a maternal of fetal pathological condition was present, and dropped to 28% in the absence of associated pathology. In 78 pregnancies (28%) no pathology was recorded that could justify IUFD. Of all IUFDs, 11% occurred during labor, and 72% occurred at a gestational age above 30 weeks. CONCLUSION: The percentage of IUFD cases for which no possible cause can be identified is quite high. Only the adoption of evidence-based diagnostic protocols, with integrated immunologic, genetic and pathologic examinations, can help reduce this diagnostic gap, contributing to the prevention of future IUFDs.

Primary hyperparathyroidism in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the management of a patient with primary hyperparathyroidism and the obstetric and neonatologic outcome. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: University hospital of Udine, Italy. PATIENT(S): A 32-year-old black pregnant woman with primary hyperparathyroidism. INTERVENTION(S): Hospitalization with observation, nuclear magnetic resonance of the neck, and right parathyroidectomy of the patient in the 15th week of gestation (WG). Monitoring during pregnancy until the delivery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Intrauterine pregnancy preservation and maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. RESULT(S): After surgery, laboratory and clinical findings remained constant. The fetus' well-being until the delivery was performed with cardiotocography (CTG) and echographic monitoring. Symmetric intrauterine growth restriction was discovered at 37 WG. Cesarean section was performed at 38 +/- 2 WG owing to the CTG trace. CONCLUSION(S): Nuclear magnetic resonance of the neck in this case was the determining diagnostic exam. Parathyroidectomy, during the second trimester, is the therapeutic gold standard, especially in cases of severe hypercalcemia (>12 mg/dL).