Immediate Fetal Outcome in Deliveries with Meconium Stained Amniotic Fluid.

BACKGROUND: Meconium-stained amniotic fluid is considered as the bad predictor of fetal outcome having significant perinatal morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to compare immediate fetal outcomes in meconium-stained amniotic fluid and clear amniotic fluid. METHODS: Hospital-based comparative observational study was conducted from a total of 204 women admitted in labour room at a tertiary level hospital. Among them, 102 were cases with meconium-stained amniotic fluid, and 102 were comparison groups with clear amniotic fluid. Fetal outcome was compared between these two groups. RESULTS: The study findings revealed that majority (74.5%) in the study group had cesarean section as compared to 14.7% in the comparative group. More than one-fourth (26.5%) of the newborns in the study group had moderate to severe birth asphyxia, needed resuscitation (25.5%) and neonatal intensive care unit admission (25.5%) as compared to 3.9% from the comparative group. Maternal age (COR=0.34, 95%CI=0.15-0.81), color of amniotic fluid (COR=0.11; 95%CI=0.04-0.33), meconium consistency (COR=0.27; 95%CI=0.17-0.43), and mode of delivery (COR=0.36; 95%CI=0.17-0.79) were associated with birth asphyxia in bivariate analysis. Maternal age (AOR=2.66; 95%CI=1.04-6.81) and color of amniotic fluid (AOR=11.50; 95%CI=2.97-44.56) were associated with birth asphyxia in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Meconium-stained amniotic fluid was associated with increased frequency of cesarean section and adverse fetal outcome with birth asphyxia being the major complications compared with clear amniotic fluid. Predictors of birth asphyxia were maternal age and color of amniotic fluid.

BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation spectrum analysis in South Asia: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common form of cancer among Asian females. Mutations in the BRCA1/BRCA2 genes are often observed in BC cases and largely increase the lifetime risk of having BC. Because of the paucity of high-quality data on the molecular spectrum of BRCA mutations in South Asian populations, we aimed to explore these mutations among South Asian countries. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation spectrum using electronic databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar. Twenty studies were selected based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS: The 185delAG (c.68_69del) mutation in exon 2 of BRCA1 was the most common recurrent mutation and founder mutation found. Various intronic variants, variants of unknown significance, large genomic rearrangements, and polymorphisms were also described in some studies. CONCLUSIONS: The South Asian population has a wide variety of genetic mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 that differ according to countries and ethnicities. A stronger knowledge of various population-specific mutations in these cancer susceptibility genes can help provide efficient strategies for genetic testing.