Assessment of embryo/fetus during pregnancy by threedimensional ultrasonography using the HD live software: iconographic essay

Fetal development is studied since the advent of two-dimensional ultrasonography. However, a detailed assessment of structures and surfaces improved with three-dimensional ultrasonography. Currently, it is possible to identify embryonic components and fetal parts with greater detail, at all pregnancy trimesters, using the HD live software, where the images gain realistic features by means of appropriate control of lighting and shadowing effects. In the present study, the authors utilized this resource to follow-up, by means of images, the development of a normal pregnancy along all trimesters.

Ultrasonographic study and Doppler flow velocimetry of maternal kidneys and liver in low-risk pregnancy

AbstractObjective:Longitudinal study with B-mode ultrasonography and Doppler ultrasonography of maternal kidneys and liver in low-risk pregnancy, to establish and quantify normality parameters, correlating them with physiological changes.Materials and Methods:Twenty-five pregnant women were assessed and selected to participate in the study, each of them undergoing four examinations at the first, second, third trimesters and postpartum.Results:Findings during pregnancy were the following: increased renal volume, pyelocaliceal dilatation with incidence of 45.4% in the right kidney, and 9% in the left kidney; nephrolithiasis, 18.1% in the right kidney, 13.6% in the left kidney. With pyelocaliceal dilatation, mean values for resistivity index were: 0.68 for renal arteries; 0.66 for segmental arteries; 0.64 for interlobar arteries; 0.64 for arcuate arteries. Without pyelocaliceal dilatation, 0.67 for renal arteries; 0.64 for segmental arteries; 0.63 for interlobar arteries; and 0.61 for arcuate arteries. Portal vein flow velocities presented higher values in pregnancy, with mean value for maximum velocity of 28.9 cm/s, and 22.6 cm/s postpartum. The waveform pattern of the right hepatic vein presented changes persisting in the postpartum period in 31.8% of the patients. Cholelithiasis was observed in 18.1% of the patients.Conclusion:Alterations in renal volume, pyelocaliceal dilatation, nephrolithiasis, cholelithiasis, changes in portal vein flow velocity, alterations in waveform pattern of the right hepatic vein, proved to be significant.

Le déni de grossesse: étude rétrospective au CHUV

Ne réaliser que l'on est enceinte seulement lors de l'accouchement ? N'avoir aucun ou peu des symptômes habituels de la grossesse ? Ce phénomène étonnant appelé déni de grossesse (DG) existe et n'est pas aussi rare que l'on pourrait le penser1. Dans la littérature, la plupart des articles mentionnent une prévalence de 2 à 3 cas pour 1000 accouchements2. Le DG n'a pas une définition considérée comme universelle, mais globalement nous pouvons le définir comme étant la « non-reconnaissance d'une grossesse au-delà du premier trimestre, qui peut se prolonger jusqu'à l'accouchement et recouvrir ce dernier»2, nous parlons respectivement, à partir de 14 semaines d'aménorrhée, de déni partiel et total. Bien que les dénis partiels soient plus fréquents que les dénis totaux, ces derniers sont les plus impressionnants. Dans la population générale ainsi qu'au sein des professionnels de la santé ce phénomène est encore considéré comme « impossible », il reste incompris ou est, de façon présumée, lié à des causes bien spécifiques comme par exemple un très jeune âge, une origine étrangère ou un bas niveau social. Realising you're pregnant only while giving birth ? Having no or few of the usual symptoms of pregnancy? This strange phenomenon exists and is called denial of pregnancy, and it's not as rare as one might think1. Most research articles mention a prevalence of 2-3 cases per 1000 births2. Denial of pregnancy doesn't have a universal definition, but can be defined as the « unawareness of a pregnancy after the first trimester, which can last until and even through birth »2. We will therefore subsequently speak of partial or complete denial. While partial denial is more frequent than complete denial, the latter is the most impressive. Among general population and professionals, this phenomenon is still considered as «impossible», keeps beeing misunderstood or is attributed to specific causes, such as younger age, foreign nationality or low socioeconomic status. A better understanding of this phenomenon would allow us to improve the care of the women affected. Objectifs : 1. Définir la terminologie et l'entité « déni de grossesse ». 2. Réaliser une étude rétrospective à partir des archives médicales du CHUV afin d'analyser le phénomène en fonction de plusieurs caractéristiques bien définies puis comparer les résultats obtenus avec la littérature. Méthodes : Il s'est agit d'effectuer une revue de littérature à partir de recherches au centre de documentation et planning familial de Genève, dans les bases de données informatiques telles que PubMed/MedLine, SAPHIR, Web of Science ainsi que de la lecture de plusieurs livres (cf. Bibliographie). Nous avons parcouru non seulement les archives papier mais surtout les archives électroniques des dossiers des patientes admises pour un diagnostic de DG partiel ou total (ou de grossesse méconnue/ non suivie) dans le service de gynécologie-obstétrique (DGO) du CHUV entre 1999 et 2012. A partir du recueil de données, nous avons analysé la répartition du DG en fonction de plusieurs paramètres tels que la classe d'âge, le milieu social, les éventuelles grossesses antérieures, la réaction de la famille en particulier du partenaire/mari ainsi que l'évolution ou l'issue de ces situations cliniques. La documentation à disposition n'a permis qu'une recherche de cas dans les dossiers d'obstétrique. Cette approche ne tient ainsi pas compte des DG qui se sont soldées par une interruption de grossesse ou un avortement spontané du 2e trimestre. Nous avons étudié uniquement les DG dont les grossesses ont aboutit à un accouchement. Résultats : Le déni de grossesse s'est révélé être un phénomène fréquent aussi au CHUV avec une prévalence de 2 pour 1000 naissances. Les DG partiels (90%) ont été plus fréquents que les DG totaux (10%). Les adolescentes représentaient une minorité des patientes (7%). En moyenne, les femmes étaient âgées de 27 ans ; elles ont découvert leur grossesse aux allentours de la 25ème semaine d'aménorrhée (SA) en moyenne et étaient en majorité de nationalité étrangère (68%) ce qui ne diffère pas des proportions habituellement retrouvées dans les consultations obstétricales au sein du CHUV. Les enfants nés suite à un DG avaient un poids et une taille dans la norme avec une moyenne de 2934.7 grammes et une taille moyenne de 47.5 centimètres. Nous notons une prise pondérale d'en moyenne 11 kilogrammes et une augmentation du BMI de 5 points par rapport au BMI habituel. Seule une minorité de patientes consommaient activement ou avouent avoir consommé des substances illicites durant la grossesse (17%). Le tabac est le toxique le plus consommé (44%). Les patientes viennent de tous les milieux socio-économiques, bien qu'une part importante travaille dans le secteur tertiaire. Les femmes n'habitent généralement pas seules, ce qui prouve que le DG peut être « contagieux ». La plupart (62%) sont hospitalisées durant le même nombre de jours que les patientes qui ne font pas de DG, soit habituellement entre 4 et 5 jours. Le service de divers spécialistes comme les pédopsychiatres, les sages-femmes conseillères en périnatalité, le service social ou d'autres professionnels de santé a systématiquement été sollicité afin de répondre au mieux aux besoins des patientes en adaptant chaque situation au cas par cas en fonction des éventuelles demandes de la patiente ainsi que de l'évaluation clinique. Conclusion: Le DG n'a pas encore une définition claire considérée comme universelle, bien que ce terme soit utilisé depuis 1970 dans la pratique médicale courante. Les résultats de notre étude correspondent globalement aux résultats de la littérature. De manière générale, force est de constater qu'il n'y a pas de caractéristiques propres aux femmes victimes de DG que ce soit dans notre étude ou dans la littérature, ce qui nous empêche de dresser le portrait exact d'une personne à risque et ainsi prévenir de futurs cas.  La prise en charge s'est systématiquement déroulée en collaboration avec une équipe multidisciplinaire. Connaître les circonstances du DG permettrait d'éviter toute stigmatisation et mauvaise prise en charge. Nous ne pouvons pas espérer prévenir totalement le DG mais nous pouvons limiter ses conséquences. Une façon de le faire serait d'amener ce phénomène à la connaissance de tous, qu'ils soient des professionnels de la santé ou non. Pour les médecins, il s'agit de considérer une telle possibilité face à une femme en âge de procréer qui consulte pour des douleurs abdominales ou l'apparition d'autres symptômes liés habituellement à une grossesse comme par exemple les nausées, une prise de poids avec ou sans aménorrhée. Le DG est une expérience souvent traumatique. L'issue n'est pas nécessairement dramatique ni pour la mère, l'enfant, le géniteur ou l'entourage. Plus la découverte se fait tôt dans la grossesse plus il reste de temps pour l'encadrement et l'acceptation de celle-ci.

Probiotic interventions in infancy: Benefit and Safety Assessment of Extended Applications

Immaturity of the gut barrier system in the newborn has been seen to underlie a number of chronic diseases originating in infancy and manifesting later in life. The gut microbiota and breast milk provide the most important maturing signals for the gut-related immune system and reinforcement of the gut mucosal barrier function. Recently, the composition of the gut microbiota has been proposed to be instrumental in control of host body weight and metabolism as well as the inflammatory state characterizing overweight and obesity. On this basis, inflammatory Western lifestyle diseases, including overweight development, may represent a potential target for probiotic interventions beyond the well documented clinical applications. The purpose of the present undertaking was to study the efficacy and safety of perinatal probiotic intervention. The material comprised two ongoing, prospective, double-blind NAMI (Nutrition, Allergy, Mucosal immunology and Intestinal microbiota) probiotic interventions. In the mother-infant nutrition and probiotic study altogether 256 women were randomized at their first trimester of pregnancy into a dietary intervention and a control group. The intervention group received intensive dietary counselling provided by a nutritionist, and were further randomized at baseline, double-blind, to receive probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium lactis) or placebo. The intervention period extended from the first trimester of pregnancy to the end of exclusive breastfeeding. In the allergy prevention study altogether 159 women were randomized, double-blind, to receive probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) or placebo 4 weeks before expected delivery, the intervention extending for 6 months postnatally. Additionally, patient data on all premature infants with very low birth weight (VLBW) treated in the Department of Paediatrics, Turku University Hospital, during the years 1997 - 2008 were utilized. The perinatal probiotic intervention reduced the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in the mothers and perinatal dietary counselling reduced that of fetal overgrowth in GDM-affected pregnancies. Early gut microbiota modulation with probiotics modified the growth pattern of the child by restraining excessive weight gain during the first years of life. The colostrum adiponectin concentration was demonstrated to be dependent on maternal diet and nutritional status during pregnancy. It was also higher in the colostrum received by normal-weight compared to overweight children at the age of 10 years. The early perinatal probiotic intervention and the postnatal probiotic intervention in VLBW infants were shown to be safe. To conclude, the findings in this study provided clinical evidence supporting the involvement of the initial microbial and nutritional environment in metabolic programming of the child. The manipulation of early gut microbial communities with probiotics might offer an applicable strategy to impact individual energy homeostasis and thus to prevent excessive body-weight gain. The results add weight to the hypothesis that interventions aiming to prevent obesity and its metabolic consequences later in life should be initiated as early as during the perinatal period.

Outcomes of cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infections among mothers in the Finnish Family HPV Study

To understand the natural history of cervical human papillomavirus (HPV)-infections, more information is needed on their genotype-specific prevalence, acquisition, clearance, persistence and progression. This thesis is part of the prospective Finnish Family HPV study. 329 pregnant women (mean age 25.5 years) were recruited during the third trimester of pregnancy and were followed up for 6 years. The outcomes of cervical HPV infections were evaluated among all the mothers participating in the study. Generalized estimating equation (GEE)-models and Poisson regression were used to estimate the risk factors of type-specific acquisition, clearance, persistence and progression of Species 7 and 9 HPV-genotypes. Independent protective factors against incident infections were higher number of life-time sexual partners, initiation of oral contraceptive use after age 20 years and becoming pregnant during FU. Older age and negative oral HR-HPV DNA status at baseline were associated with increased clearance, whereas higher number of current sexual partners decreased the probability of clearance. Early onset of smoking, practicing oral sex and older age increased the risk of type-specific persistence, while key predictors of CIN/SIL were persistent HR-HPV, abnormal Pap smear and new sexual partners. HPV16, together with multiple-type infections were the most frequent incident genotypes, most likely to remain persistent and least likely to clear. Collectively, LR-HPV types showed shorter incidence and clearance times than HR-HPV types. In multivariate models, different predictors were associated with these main viral outcomes, and there is some tentative evidence to suggest that oral mucosa might play a role in controlling some of these outcomes.

Gravidez após transplante hepático

The objective of the present study is to report a sucessful pregnancy in a 28 year-old female who underwent an orthotopic liver transplantation two years ago due to type I auto immune he patitis. Patient was taking cyclosporin, prednisone and azathioprine for maintenance immunossupression and had good graft function during all the pregnancy. The liver function tests were normal during the pregnancy. Fetal growth was monitored by ultrasonographic examination and showed normal development. At the end of the third trimester, she was subjected to a cesarean bearing a healthy girl weighting 2,320 kg. She was discharged with normal liver functions tests and no complications.

Complete mole in a dichorionic twin pregnancy after intracytoplasmic sperm injection

A dichorionic twin pregnancy with complete hydatidiform mole and coexistent fetus is a rare and challenging situation, whose pathogenesis has not been yet fully understood. We present a case of a 39-year-old woman who underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection with two embryos transfer. The 12-week gestation ultrasound examination revealed normal fetus and placenta with features of hydatidiform mole, leading to pregnancy termination. Autopsy and histological examinations diagnosed a complete mole coexisting with a normal fetus, and the genetic analysis showed a diploid fetus with biparental genome and molar tissue with paternal diploidy. This case highlighted that complete molar pregnancies may still occur even though pregnancy is achieved after intracytoplasmic sperm injection. A review of the literature was performed by collecting data from the few similar reported cases and by commenting on the pathogenesis of this rare condition.

Induction of labor with titrated oral misoprostol solution versus oxytocin in term pregnancy: randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness and the safety of orally administered misoprostol in comparison to intravenously infused oxytocin for labor induction in term pregnant women. METHODS: Between 2008 and 2010, a total of 285 term pregnant women whom were candidate for vaginal delivery were assessed for eligibility to enter the study. Twenty five patients were excluded for different reasons; and 260 included women were randomly assigned to one of the two groups according to the method of treatment, misoprostol or oxytocin. The misoprostol group received 25 µg every 2 hours for up to 24 hours for induction. The oxytocin group received an infusion of 10 IU which was gradually increased. The time from induction to delivery and induction to the beginning of the active phase and successful inductions within 12, 18, and 24 hours were recorded. The trial is registered at irct.ir, number IRCT2012061910068N1. RESULTS: Failure of induction, leading to caesarean section was around 38.3% in the oxytocin group and significantly higher than that of the misoprostol group (20.3%) (p<0.001). Despite the more prevalent failure in the oxytocin group, the mean time intervals from induction to active phase and labor of this group were both significantly less than the misoprostol group (10.1±6.1 and 13.2±7.7 versus 12.9±5.4 and 15.6±5.1 hours respectively, both p-values were <0.05). Maternal and fetal complications were comparable between groups except gastrointestinal symptoms which were encountered more frequently in the misoprostol (10.9 versus 3.9%, p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Misoprostol is a safe and effective drug with low complications for the induction of labor. Failure is seen less with misoprostol and caesarean sections are less frequently indicated as compared to oxytocin.

Correlation between placental thickness in the second and third trimester and fetal weight

PURPOSE: To investigate relationship between placental thickness during the second and third trimesters and placental and birth weights. METHODS: From January 2011 to June 2012, a total of 250 singleton pregnant women presented at our antenatal clinic were enrolled in this prospective study. All recruited women were assessed at the 1st trimester screening for baseline demographic and obstetric data. The placental thickness was measured trans-abdominally by placing the ultrasound transducer perpendicularly to the plane of the placenta, in the area of the cord insertion at second and third trimester. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to establish the degree of relationship between placental thickness and birth and placental weights. RESULTS: Of 250 recruited participants, 205 women were able to complete the study. The mean age of cases was 26.4±5.1. Values of mean birth and placental weights were 305.56±657.0 and 551.7±104.8 grams respectively. Ultrasonographic measures of placental thickness in second and third trimester and changes between them were 21.68±4.52, 36.26±6.46 and 14.67±5.67 mm respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between placental thickness and birth weight in the second and third trimesters (r=0.15, p=0.03; r=0.14, p=0.04 correspondingly). CONCLUSION: According to our study, birth weight has a positive relation with both second and third trimester placental thickness; however, placental thickness change could not predict low birth weight.

Hofbauer cells morphology and density in placentas from normal and pathological gestations

PURPOSE: In placentas from uncomplicated pregnancies, Hofbauer cells either disappear or become scanty after the fourth to fifth month of gestation. Immunohistochemistry though, reveals that a high percentage of stromal cells belong to Hofbauer cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in morphology and density of Hofbauer cells in placentas from normal and pathological pregnancies. METHODS: Seventy placentas were examined: 16 specimens from normal term pregnancies, 10 from first trimester's miscarriages, 26 from cases diagnosed with chromosomal abnormality of the fetus, and placental tissue specimens complicated with intrauterine growth restriction (eight) or gestational diabetes mellitus (10). A histological study of hematoxylin-eosin (HE) sections was performed and immunohistochemical study was performed using the markers: CD 68, Lysozyme, A1 Antichymotrypsine, CK-7, vimentin, and Ki-67. RESULTS: In normal term pregnancies, HE study revealed Hofbauer cells in 37.5% of cases while immunohistochemistry revealed in 87.5% of cases. In first trimester's miscarriages and in cases with prenatal diagnosis of fetal chromosomal abnormalities, both basic and immunohistochemical study were positive for Hofbauer cells. In pregnancies complicated with intrauterine growth restriction or gestational diabetes mellitus, a positive immunoreaction was observed in 100 and 70% of cases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Hofbauer cells are present in placental villi during pregnancy, but with progressively reducing density. The most specific marker for their detection seems to be A1 Antichymotrypsine. It is remarkable that no mitotic activity of Hofbauer cells was noticed in our study, as the marker of cellular multiplication Ki-67 was negative in all examined specimens.

Does hyperglycemia in pregnancy change fetal kidney growth?: a longitudinal prospective study

PURPOSE: To measure fetal renal volume in normoglycemic and hyperglycemic pregnancies. METHODS: A longitudinal prospective study was conducted and included 92 hyperglycemic and 339 normoglycemic pregnant women attended at the prenatal service of a hospital from Rio de Janeiro State. Ultrasound examinations were performed to estimate gestational age at baseline and the kidney volume was estimated using the prolate ellipsoid volume equation. RESULTS: Fetal kidney volume growth between normoglycemic and hyperglycemic pregnancies are significantly different. The fetal kidney volume growth in pregnancy is positively correlated with gestational age explained by these predictor equations, by group: normal renal volume = exp (6.186+0.09×gestational week); hyperglycemic renal volume = exp (6.978+0.071×gestational week) and an excessive growth pattern for hyperglycemic pregnancies may be established according to gestational age. CONCLUSION: This is important for early detection of abnormalities in pregnancy, particularly in diabetic mothers.

Salivary and serum cortisol levels, salivary alpha-amylase and unstimulated whole saliva flow rate in pregnant and non-pregnant

PURPOSE: To compare salivary and serum cortisol levels, salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), and unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) flow rate in pregnant and non-pregnant women. METHOD: A longitudinal study was conducted at a health promotion center of a university hospital. Nine pregnant and 12 non-pregnant women participated in the study. Serum and UWS were collected and analyzed every trimester and twice a month during the menstrual cycle. The salivary and serum cortisol levels were determined by chemiluminescence assay and the sAA was processed in an automated biochemistry analyzer. RESULTS: Significant differences between the pregnant and non-pregnant groups were found in median [interquartile range] levels of serum cortisol (23.8 µL/dL [19.4-29.4] versus 12.3 [9.6-16.8], p<0.001) and sAA (56.7 U/L [30.9-82.2] versus 31.8 [18.1-53.2], p<0.001). Differences in salivary and serum cortisol (µL/dL) and sAA levels in the follicular versus luteal phase were observed (p<0.001). Median UWS flow rates were similar in pregnant (0.26 [0.15-0.30] mL/min) and non-pregnant subjects (0.23 [0.20-0.32] mL/min). Significant correlations were found between salivary and serum cortisol (p=0.02) and between salivary cortisol and sAA (p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Serum cortisol and sAA levels are increased during pregnancy. During the luteal phase of the ovarian cycle, salivary cortisol levels increase, whereas serum cortisol and sAA levels decline.

Spontaneous rupture of renal angiomyolipoma during pregnancy

Renal angiomyolipoma is a benign tumor, composed of adipocytes, smooth muscle cells and blood vessels. The association with pregnancy is rare and related with an increased risk of complications, including rupture with massive retroperitoneal hemorrhage. The follow-up is controversial because of the lack of known cases, but the priorities are: timely diagnosis in urgent cases and a conservative treatment when possible. The mode of delivery is not consensual and should be individualized to each case. We report a case of a pregnant woman with 18 weeks of gestation admitted in the emergency room with an acute right low back pain with no other symptoms. The diagnosis of rupture of renal angiomyolipoma was established by ultrasound and, due to hemodinamically stability, conservative treatment with imaging and clinical monitoring was chosen. At 35 weeks of gestation, it was performed elective cesarean section without complications for both mother and fetus.

Changes in motor behavior during pregnancy in rats: the basis for a possible animal model of restless legs syndrome

PURPOSE:Pregnant women have a 2-3 fold higher probability of developing restless legs syndrome (RLS – sleep-related movement disorders) than general population. This study aims to evaluate the behavior and locomotion of rats during pregnancy in order to verify if part of these animals exhibit some RLS-like features.METHODS:We used 14 female 80-day-old Wistar rats that weighed between 200 and 250 g. The rats were distributed into control (CTRL) and pregnant (PN) groups. After a baseline evaluation of their behavior and locomotor activity in an open-field environment, the PN group was inducted into pregnancy, and their behavior and locomotor activity were evaluated on days 3, 10 and 19 of pregnancy and in the post-lactation period in parallel with the CTRL group. The serum iron and transferrin levels in the CTRL and PN groups were analyzed in blood collected after euthanasia by decapitation.RESULTS:There were no significant differences in the total ambulation, grooming events, fecal boli or urine pools between the CTRL and PN groups. However, the PN group exhibited fewer rearing events, increased grooming time and reduced immobilization time than the CTRL group (ANOVA, p<0.05).CONCLUSION:These results suggest that pregnant rats show behavioral and locomotor alterations similar to those observed in animal models of RLS, demonstrating to be a possible animal model of this sleep disorder.