Uterine contractility as a cause of amniotic band syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine whether puncturing the uterine wall and the amnion causes uterine contractions that result in fetal abnormalities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An experimental study was performed using four groups of three female rabbits. Group A received a puncture of the amniotic membranes of one of the uteri on day 15 of gestation followed by group B on day 16, group C on day 17, and group D on day 18. The duration and force of contractions and fetal abnormalities were determined. RESULTS: There were immediate contractions after the puncture, which lasted 20 to 132 seconds with forces that ranged from 309 to 4,411 mg. All of the experimental fetuses exhibited anomalies of the head and extremities, exencephaly, cleft palates, and an absence of eye-lids. CONCLUSION: Injury to the uterine wall and the aniion can immediately cause uterine contractions, which are associated with different types of fetal abnormalities.

Sobrepeso y obesidad pregestacional como factor de riesgo de cesárea y complicaciones perinatales / Maternal pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity as a risk factors for cesarean delivery and other obstetrical complications

Objetivo: Comprobar si el sobrepeso y la obesidad materna son factores de riesgo de complicaciones pe-rinatales. Método: Estudio transversal de 1.223 gestantes nulíparas atendidas en el Hospital La Paz entre agosto 2007 y abril 2008. Las gestantes se dividieron en tres grupos según el índice de masa corporal (IMC) al inicio del embarazo: 482 con peso normal (IMC: 18,5-24,9 Kg/m²); 419 con sobrepeso (IMC: 25-29,9Kg/m²) y 322 con obesidad (IMC: >30Kg/m²). Se estudiaron las complicaciones obstétricas, semanas de gestación en el momento del parto, tipo de parto y peso fetal. Resultados: El riesgo de cesßrea en las gestantes con sobrepeso fue casi el doble que el de las gestantes de peso normal (OR: 1,9; IC95 por ciento 1,4-2,5) Las gestantes obesas sufrieron el triple de cesáreas que las de peso normal (OR: 3,1; IC95 por ciento 2,8-4,3). El número de inducciones del parto fue mayor en las gestantes con sobrepeso (OR: 1,7; IC95 por ciento 1,4-1,9) y el doble en las obesas (OR: 2,0; IC95 por ciento 1,8-2,9) con respecto a las de peso normal. El riesgo de macrosomía fetal (>4.000 gramos) fue mayor en las gestantes con sobrepeso (OR: 1,5; IC95 por ciento 1,4-2,2) y en las obesas (OR: 1,9; IC95 por ciento 1,3-2,8) que en las de peso normal. En el análisis de regresión logística multivariante (ajusfando por edad, diabetes e hipertensión gestacionales) persistió la asociación entre sobrepeso y cesárea (OR: 2,1; IC95 por ciento 1,7-2,7) y entre obesidad y cesárea (OR: 3,0; IC95 por ciento 2,6-3,8). Conclusiones: El sobrepeso y la obesidad materna al inicio del embarazo están asociados con un aumento del número de cesáreas y de inducciones del parto. Este riesgo es mayor a medida que aumenta el IMC materno.

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine if the maternal prepregnancy overweight and obesity are related to risk of cesarean delivery and other obstetrical complications. Methods: Transversal study of 1223 nulliparous women that delivered in our maternity between August 2007 and April 2008. Women were categorized by the body mass index (BMI): 482 normal weight (BMI: 18.5-24.9 Kg/m²), 419 overweight (BMI: 25-29.9 Kg/m²) and 322 obesity (BMI: >30 Kg/m²). Obstetrical complications, labor and its complications, and neonatal weight were studied. Results: Women who were overweight was nearly twice as likely to deliver by cesarean section as women with normal weight (OR: 1.8; 95 percent CI 1.4-2.9). Obese women experienced a three-fold increase in risk of cesarean section in comparison to normal weight women (OR: 3.02; 95 percent CI 2.6-4.5). Number of labor inductions was higher in overweight and obese group (OR: 1.6; 95 percent CI 1.3-1.9) and (OR: 2.1; 95 percent CI 1.7-2.9) respectively in comparison to control group. The highest risk of fetal macrosomia (weight >4000 g) was in the overweight (OR: 1.5; 95 percent CI 1.4-2.2) and obese women (OR: 1.9; 95 percent CI 1.3-2.8) compared with the normal weight women. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the association persisted between obesity and cesarean delivery (OR 3.0; 95 percentCI 2.6-3.8) and among overweight and cesarean section (OR 2.1; 95 percentCI 1.7-2.7) after adjusting for variables such as age, diabetes and hypertension. Conclusions: Overweight or obesity prior to pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of cesarean delivery and labor inductions. This risk increases as the BMI increases.