Lamellar Bodies Count (LBC) as a Predictor of Fetal Lung Maturity in Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes Compared to Neonatal Assessment

Background: Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, affecting approximately 1% of all live births and 10% of all preterm infants. Lamellar bodies represent a storage form of pulmonary surfactant within Type II pneumocytes, secretion of which increases with advancing gestational age, thus enabling prediction of the degree of FLM. Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) complicates approximately 1/3 of all preterm births. Birth within 1 week is the most likely outcome for any patient with PPROM in the absence of adjunctive treatments. Respiratory distress has been reported to be the most common complication of preterm birth. Sepsis, intraventricular haemorrhage, and necrotizing enterocolitis also are associated with prematurity, but these are less common near to term. Objective: To assess the efficacy of the amniotic fluid lamellar body counting from a vaginal pool in predicting fetal lung maturity in women with preterm premature rupture of membranes. Methods: This study was conducted at Ain Shams University Maternity Hospital in the emergency ward from January 2019 to September 2019. It included 106 women with singleton pregnancies, gestational age from 28 - 36 weeks with preterm premature rupture of membranes. This study is designed to assess the efficacy of the amniotic fluid lamellar body counting (LBC) from a vaginal pool in predicting fetal lung maturity in women with preterm premature rupture of membranes. Results: The current study revealed a highly significant increase in the lamellar body count in cases giving birth to neonates without RDS compared to that cases giving birth to neonates with RDS. Also, no statistically significant difference between LBC and age, parity and number of previous miscarriages in the mother was found. Gestational age at delivery was significantly lower among cases with respiratory distress. Steroid administration was significantly less frequent among cases with respiratory distress. However, lamellar bodies had high diagnostic performance in the prediction of respiratory distress. Conclusion: Lamellar body count (LBC) is an effective, safe, easy, and cost-effective method to assess fetal lung maturity (FLM). It does not need a highly equipped laboratory or specially trained personnel, it just needs the conventional blood count analyzer. Measurement of LBC is now replacing the conventional Lecithin/Sphyngomyelin L/S ratio. LBC cut-off value of ≤42.5 × 103/μL can be used safely to decide fetal lung maturity with sensitivity of 95.7% and specificity of 97.6%.

Previable Premature Rupture of Membranes in Dichorionic Diamniotic Twin Gestation, Loss of Leading Twin, Emergency Cervical Cerclage and Ceaserean Delivery at Term

Introduction: Multiple pregnancies have a higher risk of premature delivery and a weakened cervix has been associated with it. In most cases, emergency cerclage has proved to be beneficial as the birth of the first twin is usually followed by the unavoidable delivery of the second twin and most fetus dies shortly after delivery. Studies have noted that delayed delivery of the second fetus in a twin pregnancy is an effective management choice and the use of cervical cerclage after the first delivery is associated with a longer inter-delivery interval. We present a case of previable premature rupture of membrane of a dichorionic diamniotic twin gestation leading to the loss of the leading twin and subsequently having emergency cervical cerclage for the second twin and caesarean delivery at term. Case Presentation: She was a case of a 29 years old, G6P1+4 with 1 living child at a gestational age of 17 weeks plus 5 days who initially was diagnosed with dichorionic diamniotic twin gestation following an early ultrasound but presented with a history of bleeding and passage of liquor per vaginam. Ultrasound done on admission showed cervical funneling and a stable state of the second twin. She subsequently had emergency cervical cerclage after stabilization on account of previable premature rupture of membrane of a dichorionic diamniotic twin gestation with the loss of the leading twin. A repeat ultrasound done prior to discharge showed closed cervical os and a good state of the fetus. She then had elective caesarean delivery at term with a good feto-maternal outcome. Conclusion: Emergency cervical cerclage should be part of the options of management after stabilization in cases of previable premature rupture of membrane in a dichorionic or multichoronic gestation so as to save the viable once.

Maternal and fetal outcomes in term premature rupture of membrane

BACKGROUND: Premature rupture of membrane(PROM) is linked to significant maternal prenatal mortalities and morbidity. In Ethiopia, where maternal mortality is still high, the maternal and fetal outcomes in PROM is very important to decrease maternal and child mortality and for better management and prevention of complications. Thus, this study aimed to detect the maternal and fetal outcomes and associated factors in term PROM at Mizan-Aman General Hospital, south-west Ethiopia.METHODS: A retrospective cross sectional study was conducted using data available at MizanAman General Hospital during a period of 3 years(January 2011 to December 2013). We examined records of 4 525 women who gave birth in the hospital; out of these women, 185 were diagnosed with term PROM and all of them were included in the study. The data of these women were collected using a checklist based on registration books. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 statistical package. The association between independent and dependent variables was assessed by bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses. 95%CI and P value less than 0.05 were considered statistically signifi cant.RESULTS: Of the 4 525 women who gave birth in the hospital, 202 were complicated by term PROM. About 22.2% of the women showed unfavorable maternal outcomes. The most common cause of maternal morbidity and mortality was puerperal sepsis. About 33.5% of neonates experienced unfavorable outcomes. The duration of PROM >12 hours(AOR=5.6, 95%CI 1.3–24.1) latency >24 hours(AOR=2.8, 95%CI 1.7–11.8), residing in rural areas(AOR=4.2, 95%CI 3.96–29.4) and birth weight less than 2 500 g were associated with unfavorable outcomes.CONCLUSION: Women residing in rural areas, long latency, and neonates with birth weight less 2 500 g may have unfavorable outcomes. Therefore, optimum obstetric and medical care is essential for the reduction of the devastating complications related to disorders.

Expectant Management of Preterm Ruptured Membranes before 34 Gestational Weeks at the University Hospital of Kinshasa, a Tertiary Referral Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Premature Rupture of Membranes (PROM) with the resulting prematurity remains a major public health issue in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This study aimed to assess expectant management of PPROM before 34 weeks at the university hospital of Kinshasa. We conducted a retrospective analysis of expectantly managed PROM before 34 weeks between January 2008 and December 2018. Maternal and fetal outcomes were collected, and all data were analyzed using the SPSS 23.0 software. Of the 113 patients included in the study, 2.6% were diagnosed with PROM before 34 weeks. We observed prolongation of the pregnancy duration;the median latency period was eight days, and the average gestational age at delivery of 32.85 ± 2.5 weeks. Chorioamnionitis (23%), severe oligoamnios (7%), and acute fetal distress (4%) were complications observed during the latency period. In the postpartum period, endometritis (6.2%), neonatal jaundice (39.8%), anemia (25.7%), ulcerative necrotizing enterocolitis (6.2%), cerebromeningeal hemorrhage (5.3%), and acute respiratory distress syndrome (4.4%) were complications observed. The risk of infection during the latency period was significantly associated with irregular (P = 0.045) or lack (P = 0.006) antenatal care (ANC) attendances and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) results 6 (P = 0.013). The risk of neonatal death was significantly associated to infection during the latency period (P = 0.011), irregular (P = 0.009) or lack of ANC (P = 0.000) attendances, Birth weight g (P = 0.039) as well as Gestational age at birth between 28 to 30 Weeks (S) (P = 0.021). These findings report first-time pregnancy outcomes related to the management of PPROM before 34 weeks in our setting. We found that the conservative attitude adopted allowed the prolongation of pregnancies, reducing the risks associated with prematurity. Nevertheless, attendance in good quality ANC could reduce the frequency of PROM and related adverse outcomes.

A Bayesian Stepwise Discriminant Model for Predicting Risk Factors of Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes： A Case-control Study

Background： Preterm premature rapture of membrane （PPROM） can lead to serious consequences such as intrauterine infection, prolapse of the umbilical cord, and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. Genital infection is a very important risk which closely related with PPROM. The preliminary study only made qualitative research on genital infection, but there was no deep and clear judgment about the effects of pathogenic bacteria. This study was to analyze the association of in fections with PPROM in pregnant women in Shaanxi, China, and to establish Bayesian stepwise discriminant analysis to predict the incidence of PPROM. Methods： In training group, the 112 pregnant women with PPROM were enrolled in the case subgroup, and 108 normal pregnant women in the control subgroup using an unmatched case-control method. The sociodemographic characteristics of these participants were collected by face-to-face interviews. Vaginal excretions fiom each participant were sampled at 28 36-6 weeks of pregnancy using a sterile swab. DNA corresponding to Chlamrdia trachomalix （CT）, Ureaplasma urealyticwn （UU）, Candida albicans, group B streptococci （GBS）, herpes simplex virus- 1 （HSV-1）, and HSV-2 were detected in each participant by real-time polymerase chain reaction. A model of Bayesian discriminant analysis was established and then verified by a mull）center validation group that included 500 participants in the case subgroup and 5（10 participants in the control subgroup from five different hospitals in the Shaanxi province, respectively. Results： The sociological characteristics were not significantly different between the case and control subgroups in both training and validation groups （all P 〉 0.05）. In training group, the infection rates of UU （11.6% vs. 3.7%）, CT （17.0% vs. 5.6%）, and GBS （22.3% vs. 6.5%） showed statistically different between the case and control subgroups （all P 〈 0.05）, Iog-transfomacd quantification of UU, CE GBS, and HSV-2 showed statistically different between the case and control subgroups （P 〈 0.05）. All etiological agents were introduced into the Bayesian stepwise discriminant model showed that UU, CT, and GBS infections were the main contributors to PPROM, with coe｜＇ficients of 0.441,3.347, and 4.126, respectively. The accuracy rates of the Bayesian stepwise discriminant analysis between the case and control subgroup were 84.1% and 86.8% in the training and validation groups, respectively. Conclusions： This study established a Bayesian stepwise discriminant model to predict the incidence of PPROM. The UU, CT, and GBS infections were discriminant factors for PPROM according to a Bayesian stepwise discriminant analysis. This model could provide a new method for the early predicting of PPROM in pregnant women.

Cesarean section does not affect neonatal outcomes of pregnancies complicated with preterm premature rupture of membranes

Background:Preterm premature rupture of membranes(PPROM)is associated with high neonatal morbidity and mortality.However,the influences of cesarean section(CS)on neonatal outcomes in preterm pregnancies complicated with PPROM are not well elucidated.The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of delivery modes on neonatal outcomes among pregnant women with PPROM.Methods:A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in 39 public hospitals in 14 cities in the mainland of China from January 1st,2011 to December 31st,2011.A total of 2756 singleton pregnancies complicated with PPROM were included.Adverse neonatal outcomes including early neonatal death,birth asphyxia,respiratory distress syndrome(RDS),pneumonia,infection,birth trauma,and 5-min/10-min Apgar scores were obtained from the hospital records.Binary variables and ordinal variables were respectively calculated by binary logistic regressions and ordinal regression.Numerical variables were compared by multiple linear regressions.Results:In total,2756 newborns were involved in the analysis.Among them,1166 newborns(42.31%)were delivered by CS and 1590 newborns belonged to vaginal delivery(VD)group.The CS proportion of PPROM obviously increased with the increase of gestational age(x2=5.014,P=0.025).Compared with CS group,VD was associated with a higher risk of total newborns mortality(odds ratio[OR],2.38;95%confidence interval[Cl],1.102-5.118;P=0.027),and a lower level of pneumonia(OR,0.32;95%Cl,0.126-0.811;P=0.016).However,after multivariable adjustment and stratification for gestational age,only pneumonia was significantly related with CS in 28 to 34 weeks group(OR,0.34;95%Cl,0.120-0.940;P=0.038).There were no differences regarding to other adverse outcomes in the two groups,including neonatal mortality,birth asphyxia,Apgar scores,RDS,pneumonia,and sepsis.Conclusions:The proportion of CS of pregnant women with PPROM was very high in China.The mode of delivery does not affect neonatal outcomes of pregnancies complicated with PPROM.

FPR1 Antagonist (BOC-MLF) Inhibits Amniotic Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition

Objective:Premature rupture of membranes(PROM)is a common pregnancy disorder that is closely associated with structural weakening of fetal membranes.Studies have found that formyl peptide receptor 1(FPR1)activates inflammatory pathways and amniotic epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT),stimulates collagen degradation,and leads to membrane weakening and membrane rupture.The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory and EMT inhibitory effects of FPR1 antagonist(BOC-MLF)to provide a basis for clinical prevention of PROM.Methods:The relationship between PROM,FPR1,and EMT was analyzed in human fetal membrane tissue and plasma samples using Western blotting,PCR,Masson staining,and ELISA assays.Lipopolysaccharide(LPS)was used to establish a fetal membrane inflammation model in pregnant rats,and BOC-MLF was used to treat the LPS rat model.We detected interleukin(IL)-6 in blood from the rat hearts to determine whether the inflammatory model was successful and whether the anti-inflammatory treatment was effective.We used electron microscopy to analyze the structure and collagen expression of rat fetal membrane.Results:Western blotting,PCR and Masson staining indicated that the expression of FPR1 was significantly increased,the expression of collagen was decreased,and EMT appeared in PROM.The rat model indicated that LPS caused the collapse of fetal membrane epithelial cells,increased intercellular gaps,and decreased collagen.BOC-MLF promoted an increase in fetal membrane collagen,inhibited EMT,and reduced the weakening of fetal membranes.Conclusion:The expression of FPR1 in the fetal membrane of PROM was significantly increased,and EMT of the amniotic membrane was obvious.BOC-MLF can treat inflammation and inhibit amniotic EMT.

Heterotopic pregnancy after assisted reproductive techniques with favorable outcome of the intrauterine pregnancy:A case report

BACKGROUND Heterotopic pregnancy(HP)is a rare condition in which both ectopic and intrauterine pregnancies occur.HP is uncommon after natural conception but has recently received more attention due to the widespread use of assisted reproductive techniques(ART)such as ovulation promotion therapy.CASE SUMMARY Here,we describe a case of HP that occurred after ART with concurrent tubal and intrauterine singleton pregnancies.This was treated successfully with surgery to preserve the intrauterine pregnancy,resulting in the birth of a low-weight premature infant.This case report aims to increase awareness of the possibility of HP during routine first-trimester ultrasound examinations,especially in pregnancies resulting from ART and even if multiple intrauterine pregnancies are present.CONCLUSION This case alerts us to the importance of comprehensive data collection during regular consultations.It is important for us to remind ourselves of the possibility of HP in all patients presenting after ART,especially in women with an established and stable intrauterine pregnancy that complain of constant abdominal discomfort and also in women with an unusually raised human chorionic gonadotropin level compared with simplex intrauterine pregnancy.This will allow symptomatic and timeous treatment of patients with better results.

Prenatal incarceration of caput succedaneum: A case report

Caput succedaneum is relatively common at birth but infrequently diagnosed in utero. We report the first case of a prenatal incarcerated caput succedaneum after cervical cerclage in a patient with premature rupture of the membranes(PPROM). A 41-year-old woman was referred and admitted to our hospital due to PPROM at 19 wk of gestation. Aggressive therapy, including amnioinfusion, cervical cerclage, and administration of antibiotics and tocolysis, was initiated. At 24 wk of gestation, a thumb tip-sized and polyp-like mass, which was irreducible, was delineated with a vaginal examination, vaginal speculum, and transvaginal ultrasonography, leading to the diagnosis of incarcerated caput succedaneum. Under general anesthesia, the incarcerated caput succedaneum was repositioned with fingers after cutting the string to avoid necrosis, and then, placement of a Mc Donald cervical cerclage was undertaken again. At 26 wk of gestation, she delivered a 678 g girl through an emergency cesarean section performed due to profuse bleeding and prolonged decelerations. A slight bulge with hair was observed on the head by palpation at birth. Cephalic ultrasonography, X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalogram confirmed no abnormality. Although the baby needed oxygen(0.2 L/min) at the time of hospital discharge, she has grown favorably at three years of corrected age.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTERLEUKIN-6,INTERLEUKIN-8 CONCENTRATIONS AND INTRAAMNIO INFECTION AND APGAR SCORES

we d.termlned amniotic fluid and blood IL-6, 8 concentrations or so pregnancy womenwith premature rupture of membrane,(PROM) by ELISA - e^led the fetal membranes by.pathology. The results showed that there were 36 petients with intraamnio infection (IAI) and theirIL-6.IL-8 concentrations were significantly higher than those of the patients without IAI. In 20 ofthe 36 patients their neonates Apgar scores≤7 and their fluid- blood IL-6.IL-8 cooreuthed.were significently higher htat those. of other 16 patients whose Apgar scores≥8.These results ndicated that the bkood and amnioiotic fluid IL-6. IL-8 concentrations of pregnancy wom-en with PROM would help to predict and esimate fetus prognosis

Case study:May human norovirus infection be associated with premature delivery?

Human norovirus(HuNoV)is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis.The varying severity of chronic infection in patients with underlying immune deficiencies poses additional burdens on public health.However,the potential effects of HuNoV infection during pregnancy,a specific immune perturbed state,have been rarely reported.Recently,four cases of HuNoV-infected patients in the late stages of pregnancy were admitted to the Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center,and premature rupture of membranes as primary adverse outcome was observed in these cases.Samples of fetal accessory tissue were collected from two of these cases at delivery to explore the potential pathogenesis.Pathological analysis showed placental malperfusion in both maternal and fetal vascular,while a decrease in vessels was not observed in villi of placenta.There was obvious pathological change in the chorion of fetal membrane,accompanied by a tendency of Th-1 immune bias.Notably,aggregation of M2 macrophages was observed in the chorion of the fetal membrane,potentially recruited for tissue repair.Next-generation sequencing showed minimal changes in immune pathways within placenta tissue.A gene panel associated with immunosuppression was identified in the fetal membrane of HuNoV-infected women compared to those of normal parturient.Taken together,this study provides clues for the association between the HuNoV and premature delivery,which requires the attention of the clinicians.

Long interpregnancy interval and adverse perinatal outcomes: a retrospective cohort study

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 9,552 women experiencing their second delivery between 2014 and 2016 at the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital to investigate the association between the interpregnancy interval(IPI)and adverse perinatal outcomes. With the 12–23-mon IPI as the reference category, logistic regression analyzes were used to examine associations between different IPIs(<12, 12–23, 24–59, 60–119, and ≥120 mon) and perinatal outcomes(gestational diabetes mellitus, premature membrane rupture, gestational hypertension, preterm birth, low birth weight, and macrosomia).Compared with the 12–23-mon IPI category, women with longer IPIs had a higher risk of adverse perinatal outcomes, and those with an IPI ≥120 mon had the highest risk of gestational diabetes mellitus and premature membrane rupture(adjusted odds ratio(OR) 1.76, 95% confidence interval(CI) 1.32–2.35 and adjusted OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.53–2.67, respectively). These results indicate that a longer IPI is associated with a higher risk of adverse perinatal outcomes and an IPI of ≥120 mon appears to be independently associated with a higher risk of gestational diabetes mellitus and premature membrane rupture.

Variation of the Vaginal Microbiome During and After Pregnancy in Chinese Women

A comprehensive profiling of the vaginal microbial communities and their variability enables an accurate description of the microbiome in women.However,there is a lack of studies available on Chinese women.In the present study,the composition of the vaginal microbiota during pregnancy and the 6-week postpartum period of 454 Chinese women was characterized by sequencing the V3-V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA(rRNA)gene.The vaginal microbiome showed variations during pregnancy and the postpartum period based on the abortion history,hypertensive disorders,delivery mode,and maternal age.Co-variation of 22 bacterial taxa,including the Lactobacillus genus and two of its species,may account for the common characteristics of the vaginal microbiome under scenarios of different medical histories and pregnancy outcomes.In contrast,discriminant bacterial species were significantly different between women who had preterm birth(PTB)with and without premature rupture of membranes(PROM),and the community state type(CST)IV-A without any predominant Lactobacillus species in the microbiota was more prevalent during pregnancy in the PROM-PTB cases,suggesting that specific bacterial species could be considered to distinguish between different types of PTB.By providing data on Chinese women,this study will enrich the knowledge of the human microbiome and contribute to a better understanding of the association between the vaginal microbiome and reproductive health.