The impact of male infertility or intracytoplasmic sperm injection technique on perinatal outcomes

For around half of the couples who have trouble conceiving the cause of infertility is sperm-related. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is the most common and successful treatment for male infertility. Here, the pioneers for the technique, along with authorities in the field, describe the underlying science of ICSI and other micromanipulation techniques. Practical advice for performing the techniques is covered in depth, including sperm selection, laser-assisted ICSI, and the use of piezo in ICSI. Examining the safety of ICSI in animal models as well as the impact of ICSI on the health and well-being of the children conceived through the procedure is discussed. This manual is an essential resource for clinical embryologists and laboratory personnel wishing to refine or develop techniques and improve outcomes.

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Vascular anastomoses in intrauterine growth in monochorionic twins

Journal of Perinatal Medicine ◽

10.1515/jpm-2020-0028 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 48 (6) ◽

pp. 539-543

Author(s):

Michał Lipa ◽

Przemysław Kosinski ◽

Paweł Stanirowski ◽

Mirosław Wielgos ◽

Dorota Bomba-Opon

Keyword(s):

Injection Technique ◽

Digital Analysis ◽

Monochorionic Twins ◽

Intrauterine Growth ◽

Blood Exchange ◽

Sharing Patterns ◽

A Prospective Study ◽

The Impact ◽

Umbilical Cords

AbstractObjectivesTo evaluate the impact of placental anastomoses on the intrauterine growth of monochorionic (MC) twins.MethodsA prospective study was conducted in a group of 53 MC twins. Intrapartally umbilical cords were clamped to identify placental sides corresponding to each twin. The postnatal dye injection technique was administered to evaluate vascular anastomoses, their number and type and visualize placental territory sharing patterns. Data from digital analysis were correlated with obstetrical follow-up.ResultsVascular anastomoses were revealed in 88.7% of cases. Arteriovenous (AV) anastomoses occurred in 75.4% and arterioarterial (AA) in 71.1% while venovenous (VV) in 26.4%. In the subgroup of MC twins without placental anastomoses, significantly higher birthweight difference and discordance were revealed when compared to MC twins without anastomoses (382.0 vs. 22 g; P = 0.03 and 49.14% vs. 16.02%; P = 0.03). On the other hand, in subgroups of MC twins with at least one AA anastomosis, twins’ birthweights were similar (p = ns) despite significantly higher placental territory sharing discordance (30.44% vs. 15.81%; P = 0.31).ConclusionsVascular anastomoses have a major impact on the intrauterine growth of MC twins. In certain cases, they may cause specific complications; however, in general, they regulate intertwin blood exchange and may compensate unequal placental territory.

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Adolescent, Pregnant, and HIV-Infected: Risk of Adverse Pregnancy and Perinatal Outcomes in Young Women from Southern Mozambique

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10081564 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 1564

Author(s):

Clara Pons-Duran ◽

Aina Casellas ◽

Azucena Bardají ◽

Anifa Valá ◽

Esperança Sevene ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hiv Infection ◽

Maternal Morbidity ◽

Low Birthweight ◽

Negative Binomial ◽

Perinatal Outcomes ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

P Value ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Adverse Pregnancy ◽

The Impact

Sub-Saharan Africa concentrates the burden of HIV and the highest adolescent fertility rates. However, there is limited information about the impact of the interaction between adolescence and HIV infection on maternal health in the region. Data collected prospectively from three clinical trials conducted between 2003 and 2014 were analysed to evaluate the association between age, HIV infection, and their interaction, with the risk of maternal morbidity and adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes in women from southern Mozambique. Logistic regression and negative binomial models were used. A total of 2352 women were included in the analyses; 31% were adolescents (≤19 years) and 29% HIV-infected women. The effect of age on maternal morbidity and pregnancy and perinatal adverse outcomes was not modified by HIV status. Adolescence was associated with an increased incidence of hospital admissions (IRR 0.55, 95%CI 0.37–0.80 for women 20–24 years; IRR 0.60, 95%CI 0.42–0.85 for women >25 years compared to adolescents; p-value < 0.01) and outpatient visits (IRR 0.86, 95%CI 0.71–1.04; IRR 0.76, 95%CI 0.63–0.92; p-value = 0.02), and an increased likelihood of having a small-for-gestational age newborn (OR 0.50, 95%CI 0.38–0.65; OR 0.43, 95%CI 0.34–0.56; p-value < 0.001), a low birthweight (OR 0.40, 95%CI 0.27–0.59; OR 0.37, 95%CI 0.26–0.53; p-value <0.001) and a premature birth (OR 0.42, 95%CI 0.24–0.72; OR 0.51, 95%CI 0.32–0.82; p-value < 0.01). Adolescence was associated with an increased risk of poor morbidity, pregnancy and perinatal outcomes, irrespective of HIV infection. In addition to provision of a specific maternity care package for this vulnerable group interventions are imperative to prevent adolescent pregnancy.

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Fetal movement counting is associated with the reduction of delayed maternal reaction after perceiving decreased fetal movements: a prospective study

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-90240-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Shigeki Koshida ◽

Shinsuke Tokoro ◽

Daisuke Katsura ◽

Shunichiro Tsuji ◽

Takashi Murakami ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Maternal Behavior ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

Perinatal Outcomes ◽

Fetal Movement ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Fetal Movements ◽

Adverse Perinatal Outcomes ◽

The Impact ◽

Maternal Reaction

AbstractMaternal perception of decreased fetal movement is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. Although there have been several studies on interventions related to the fetal movements count, most focused on adverse perinatal outcomes, and little is known about the impact of the fetal movement count on maternal behavior after the perception of decreased fetal movement. We investigated the impact of the daily fetal movement count on maternal behavior after the perception of decreased fetal movement and on the stillbirth rate in this prospective population-based study. Pregnant women in Shiga prefecture of Japan were asked to count the time of 10 fetal movements from 34 weeks of gestation. We analyzed 101 stillbirths after the intervention compared to 121 stillbirths before the intervention. In multivariable analysis, maternal delayed visit to a health care provider after the perception of decreased fetal movement significantly reduced after the intervention (aOR 0.31, 95% CI 0.11–0.83). Our regional stillbirth rates in the pre-intervention and post-intervention periods were 3.06 and 2.70 per 1000 births, respectively. Informing pregnant women about the fetal movement count was associated with a reduction in delayed maternal reaction after the perception of decreased fetal movement, which might reduce stillbirths.

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Resilience and vulnerability of maternity services in Zimbabwe: a comparative analysis of the effect of Covid-19 and lockdown control measures on maternal and perinatal outcomes, a single-centre cross-sectional study at Mpilo Central Hospital

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth ◽

10.1186/s12884-021-03884-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Clare Shakespeare ◽

Handsome Dube ◽

Sikhangezile Moyo ◽

Solwayo Ngwenya

Keyword(s):

Perinatal Outcomes ◽

Control Measures ◽

Central Hospital ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Maternity Services ◽

Before And After ◽

The Mean ◽

Significant Change ◽

The Impact ◽

Mpilo Central Hospital

Abstract Background On the 27th of March 2020 the Zimbabwean government declared the Covid-19 pandemic a ‘national disaster’. Travel restrictions and emergency regulations have had significant impacts on maternity services, including resource stock-outs, and closure of antenatal clinics during the lockdown period. Estimates of the indirect impact of Covid-19 on maternal and perinatal mortality was expected it to be considerable, but little data was yet available. This study aimed to examine the impact of Covid-19 and lockdown control measures on non-Covid outcomes in a government tertiary level maternity unit in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, by comparing maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality before, and after the lockdown was implemented. Methods This was a retrospective, observational study, using a cross-sectional design to compare routine monthly maternal and perinatal statistics three months before and after Covid-19 emergency measures were implemented at Mpilo Central Hospital. Results Between January-March and April-June 2020, the mean monthly deliveries reduced from 747.3 (SD ± 61.3) in the first quarter of 2020 to 681.0 (SD ± 17.6) during lockdown, but this was not statistically significant, p = 0.20. The Caesarean section rates fell from a mean of 29.8% (SD ± 1.7) versus 28.0% (SD ± 1.7), which was also not statistically significant, p = 0.18. During lockdown, the percentage of women delivering at Mpilo Central Hospital who were booked at the hospital fell from a mean of 41.6% (SD ± 1.1) to 35.8% (SD ± 4.3) which was statistically significant, p = 0.03. There was no significant change, however, in maternal mortality or severe maternal morbidity (such as post-partum haemorrhage (PPH), uterine rupture, and severe preeclampsia/eclampsia), stillbirth rate or special care baby unit admission. There was an increase in the mean total number of early neonatal deaths (ENND) (mean 18.7 (SD ± 2.9) versus 24.0 (SD ± 4.6), but this was not statistically significant, p = 0.32. Conclusions Overall, maternity services at Mpilo showed resilience during the lockdown period, with no significant change in maternal and perinatal adverse outcomes, with the same number of man-hours worked before and during the lockdown Maternal and perinatal outcomes should continue to be monitored to assess the impact of Covid-19 and the lockdown measures as the pandemic in Zimbabwe unfolds. Further studies would be beneficial to explore women’s experiences and understand how bookings and deliveries at local clinics changed during this time.

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Contributing Factors to Perinatal Outcome in Pregnancies with Gestational Diabetes—What Matters Most? A Retrospective Analysis

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10020348 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 348

Author(s):

Friederike Weschenfelder ◽

Friederike Hein ◽

Thomas Lehmann ◽

Ekkehard Schleußner ◽

Tanja Groten

Keyword(s):

Weight Gain ◽

Gestational Diabetes ◽

Perinatal Outcome ◽

Perinatal Outcomes ◽

Large For Gestational Age ◽

Obese Women ◽

Patient Counseling ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Prepregnancy Bmi ◽

The Impact

The aim of diabetes care of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is to attain pregnancy outcomes including rates of large-for-gestational-age (LGA) newborns, pre-eclampsia, C-sections (CS) and other neonatal outcomes similar to those of the non-GDM pregnant population. Obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy have been shown to also impact perinatal outcome. Since GDM is frequently associated with elevated body mass index (BMI), we evaluated the impact of maternal prepregnancy BMI, development of GDM and gestational weight gain (GWG) during pregnancy on perinatal outcome. We compared 614 GDM patients with 5175 non-diabetic term deliveries who gave birth between 2012 and 2016. Multivariate regression analysis was used to evaluate the independent contribution of each factor on selected perinatal outcome variables. Additionally, subgroup analysis for obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and non-obese women (BMI < 30 kg/m2) was performed. LGA was significantly influenced by BMI, GWG and GDM, while Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission was solely impacted by GDM. Maternal outcomes were not dependent on GDM but on GWG and prepregnancy BMI. These results remained significant in the non-obese subgroup only. Thus, GDM still affects perinatal outcomes and requires further improvement in diabetic care and patient counseling.

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Intracytoplasmic sperm injection: state of the art in humans

Reproduction ◽

10.1530/rep-17-0374 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 154 (6) ◽

pp. F93-F110 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

G D Palermo ◽

C L O’Neill ◽

S Chow ◽

S Cheung ◽

A Parrella ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

State Of The Art ◽

Semen Analysis ◽

Reproductive Technology ◽

Male Factor Infertility ◽

Male Factor ◽

Current Application ◽

Infertile Couples ◽

The Impact

Among infertile couples, 25% involve both male and female factors, while male factor alone accounts for another 25% due to oligo-, astheno-, teratozoospermia, a combination of the three, or even a complete absence of sperm cells in the ejaculate and can lead to a poor prognosis even with the help of assisted reproductive technology (ART). Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has been with us now for a quarter of a century and in spite of the controversy generated since its inception, it remains in the forefront of the techniques utilized in ART. The development of ICSI in 1992 has drastically decreased the impact of male factor, resulting in millions of pregnancies worldwide for couples who, without ICSI, would have had little chance of having their own biological child. This review focuses on the state of the art of ICSI regarding utility of bioassays that evaluate male factor infertility beyond the standard semen analysis and describes the current application and advances in regard to ICSI, particularly the genetic and epigenetic characteristics of spermatozoa and their impact on reproductive outcome.

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