[Predictive value of combined fibronectin and ultrasound cervical assessment in twin pregnancies]. / Valeur prédictive du couplage de la fibronectine à l'échographie du col chez les grossesses gémellaires.

OBJECTIVE: To test a sequential test with fetal fibronectin detection after ultrasound measurement of cervical length to predict preterm delivery in twin pregnancies with preterm labor. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Descriptive retrospective study on 50 women with twin pregnancy hospitalised for preterm labor between 24 and 34 weeks and 6 days of gestation. The primary outcomes were preterm delivery before 34 or 37 weeks of gestation or within 7 or 14 days. Selective use of fibronectin after cervical length measurement has been tested, with a sequential test considered positive if cervical length was less than or equal to 15mm or if cervical length was between 16 and 30mm with fetal fibronectin positive. RESULTS: The sensitivity/specificity/and positive and negative predictive values of fetal fibronectin positive were 71%, 64%, 26%, et 93% for delivery within 7 days; those of cervical length less than or equal to 20mm were 89%, 51%, 31%, et 95% for delivery before 34 weeks and 6 days. The efficiency of the sequential test seemed better than each test and than for singleton pregnancies keeping an excellent negative predictive value: sensitivity of 75%, specificity of 63%, positive predictive value of 26% and negative predictive value of 93.5% for prediction of preterm delivery within 14 days. The use of this sequential test could have decreased half of fibronectin tests. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: A sequential test with selective use of fetal fibronectin detection in twin pregnancies selected by ultrasound measurement of cervical length appears to be effective for predicting preterm birth if preterm labor, avoiding half of fibronectin tests.

[Interest of lactate micro-dosage in scalp and umbilical cord in cases of abnormal fetal heart rate during labor. Prospective study on 162 patients]. / Place du microdosage des lactates au scalp et au cordon devant des anomalies du rythme cardiaque fœtal pendant le travail. Étude prospective sur 162 patientes.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the interest of lactate microanalysis with pH measurement (Gold Standard procedure) in cord blood and fetal scalp blood samples for the assessment of abnormal fetal heart rate (FHR) during labour. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective observational study conducted from July 1st 2007 till March 31st 2008 on 162 patients with abnormal FHR during labour. RESULTS: Sampling failure for scalp lactate was less than 1 % compared to a failure of 10.5 % for scalp pH (P<0.001). There was a good correlation between pH and lactates in fetal scalp blood samples and in cord blood samples, between lactate in the last fetal scalp sample and in cord blood. When there was umbilical acidosis (pH≤7.15 or lactate≥5mmol/L), Apgar score at 5 minutes was significantly lower than when there was no acidosis (4.66±3.59 versus 8.35±2.73 for pH ; 6.6±3.77 versus 8.45±2.58 for lactate). The specificity of the lactate in the umbilical cord artery (≥5 mmol/laws) was 76.4 % for predicting an Apgar score at 5 minutes less than 7 ; 79.7 % for predicting the need for immediate neonatal care ; 77.3 % for predicting an hospital stay in neonatal unit. These figures were generally worse but close to those found for a threshold value of umbilical artery pH≤7.15. CONCLUSION: The values of lactate in cord blood and fetal scalp blood samples were comparable to pH values (Gold standard procedure). This method is easy to perform and is an attractive alternative to pH for monitoring fetal asphyxia. It is our opinion that the combination of the two methods is of interest.

[Sequential use of cervical length measurement before fetal fibronectin detection to predict spontaneous preterm delivery in women with preterm labor]. / Utilisation séquentielle de la longueur échographique du col utérin puis de la détection de la fibronectine foetale pour prédire une prématurité spontanée en cas de menace d'accouchement prématuré.

OBJECTIVE: To test a sequential test with fetal fibronectin detection after ultrasound measurement of cervical length to predict preterm delivery in women with preterm labor. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive retrospective study on 111 women hospitalised for preterm labor between 24 and 34 weeks and six days of gestation. The primary outcomes were preterm delivery before 34 or 37 weeks of gestation or within seven or 14 days. Selective use of fetal fibronectin detection after cervical length measurement has been tested, with a sequential test considered positive if cervical length was inferior or equal to 15 mm or if cervical length was between 16 and 30 mm with fetal fibronectin positive. RESULTS: The sensitivity/specificity/and positive and negative predictive values of fetal fibronectin positive were 75, 71, 17 and 97% for delivery within 14 days; those of cervical length inferior or equal to 20mm were 75, 52, 21, and 92% for delivery before 34 weeks. The efficiency of the sequential test was similar with excellent negative predictive value: sensitivity/specificity/and positive and negative predictive values of 75, 63, 26, and 93.5% for prediction of preterm delivery before 34 entire weeks. The use of this sequential test could have avoided 37% of fibronectin tests. CONCLUSION: A sequential test with selective use of fetal fibronectin detection in population selected by ultrasound measurement of cervical length appears to be as effective than fetal fibronectin detection or cervical length alone for predicting preterm birth, if preterm labor, avoiding more than one third of fibronectin tests.

First-trimester prenatal diagnosis performed on pregnant women with fetal ultrasound abnormalities: the reliability of interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on mesenchymal core for the main aneuploidies.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the reliability of interphase FISH analysis of the main aneuploidies performed on mesenchymal core when prenatal diagnosis was performed on pregnant women with first-trimester fetal abnormalities on ultrasound. STUDY DESIGN: 386 first-trimester prenatal examinations were investigated from chorionic villus samplings for increased nuchal translucencies or other fetal ultrasound abnormalities. Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for the main aneuploidies (trisomies 13, 18, 21 and gonosomal aneuploidies) was performed on the mesenchymal core of villi. Molecular cytogenetic results were always complemented by conventional cytogenetic results on long-term cultured villi (LTC-villi). Short-term cultured villi (STC-villi) preparations were retrospectively performed only when a chromosomal abnormality was observed with interphase FISH and/or LTC-villi. RESULTS: 88 chromosomal abnormalities (88/386=22.8% of first-trimester diagnoses) which could discuss subsequent abortions were observed after LTC-villi preparations. All cases possibly detectable by interphase FISH were detected. Thus, 85 aneuploidies (85/386=22.0% of first-trimester diagnoses; 85/88=96.6% of chromosomal abnormalities) were detected by interphase FISH, allowing early abortion by curettage before week 14 amenorrhea. No discrepancy occurred between interphase FISH and LTC-villi results for the aneuploidies studied. Three false-negative results (3/386=0.77% of first-trimester diagnoses; 3/88=3.41% of chromosomal abnormalities) were observed with STC-villi. CONCLUSION: We observed a high rate of false-negative results on cytotrophoblast cells. Conversely, interphase FISH of the main aneuploidies on the mesenchymal core provided rapid and reliable results, and therefore should be preferred to STC-villi in first-trimester prenatal diagnosis performed on pregnant women with fetal abnormalities on ultrasound.

Pain experience during chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the maternal perception of pain before and after amniocentesis (AC) or transabdominal chorionic villus sampling (TA-CVS). STUDY DESIGN: Three hundred women were divided into groups of 100 participants destined to undergo three different fetal sampling procedures: amniocentesis (group 1), transabdominal chorionic villus sampling (CVS) with a 19 gauge Blache needle (group 2) and transabdominal CVS with a 20 gauge needle (group 3). The visual analog scale (VAS) was used to quantify the patient's pre-sampling expected pain level and the real pain level was measured immediately after the sampling procedure. The factors liable to influence the VAS score after the sampling procedure were studied by single and multivariate analysis and concerned either the sampling procedure or patient demographic data. RESULTS: The VAS scores obtained before the procedure were not significantly different for the three sampling groups. When performed with a 19 gauge Blache needle TA-CVS is significantly more painful than the other sampling procedures (p=0.0002): VAS score of 3.62 (group 2), 2.49 (group 3) and 2.68 (group 1) for CVS with 20 gauge needle and amniocentesis. Multivariate analysis identified a group of patients for which the perception of pain induced by sampling was higher compared to the other patients: nulliparous patients, having undergone 19 gauge Blache needle CVS, with a high pre-sampling VAS score. CONCLUSION: Transabdominal chorionic villus sampling with a 19 gauge Blache needle seems to be the most painful sampling procedure. We question the need to use a 19 gauge needle as acceptable results are obtained with a 20 gauge needle.