CUSTOMISED FETAL GROWTH CHARTS VERSUS POPULATION-BASED GROWTH CHARTS IN IDENTIFYING ADVERSE FETAL OUTCOMES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

One for all antenatal growth charts may not adequately capture risks for adverse fetal outcomes. This review appraises studies on customised growth curves in preventing adverse fetal effects and compares them with population-based growth charts. A review was done on articles published in PubMed database, Cochrane database and Google Scholar. The search criteria were English written described fetal outcomes using a customised fetal growth chart published between 2007 and 2020. All selected articles reported antenatal follow-up data and compared the intervention using the customised antenatal growth chart to the population-based antenatal growth chart. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of small for gestational age (SGA) and stillbirths. The feasibility of using a customised fetal growth chart versus a population-based fetal growth chart was assessed as the process indicator. Twenty-two articles comparing the use of customised growth charts to population-based growth charts were found. Sixteen studies depicted a significant improvement in the detection of pathological SGA over a population-based growth chart ,and another two studies showed significant in detecting large gestational age (LGA). In conclusion, the customised growth charts improve the detection of pathological SGA antenatally. The feasibility of the intervention depends on the training, policy, infrastructure, staffing, awareness and ethics. A summarised framework analysis for implementing customised growth charts is proposed for future research.

Risk of Adverse Fetal Outcomes Following Nonobstetric Surgery During Gestation: A Nationwide Population-Based Analysis

Background: Literature suggests that nonobstetric surgery during gestation is associated with a higher risk of spontaneous abortion, prematurity, and a higher cesarean section rate, but the direct impact on fetal outcomes is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether nonobstetric surgery during pregnancy is associated with negative fetal outcomes by analysing a nation-wide database in Taiwan.Methods: This population-based retrospective observational study was based on the linkage of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, Birth Reporting Database, and Maternal and Child Health Database between 2004 and 2014. For every pregnancy with nonobstetric surgery during gestation, four controls were randomly matched according to maternal age and delivery year. We estimated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of adverse fetal outcomes with the non-surgery group as the reference. The primary outcomes involved stillbirth, prematurity, low birth weight, low Apgar scores, and neonatal and infant death.Results: Among 23,721 identified pregnancies, 4,747 underwent nonobstetric surgery. Pregnancies with nonobstetric surgery had significantly higher risks of prematurity (aOR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.31–1.62), lower birth weight (aOR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.33–1.67), Apgar scores <7 (1 min, aOR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.33–1.86; 5 min, aOR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.03–1.74), neonatal death (aOR: 2.01; 95% CI: 1.18–3.42), and infant death (aOR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.12–2.54) than those without nonobstetric surgery after adjustment for socioeconomic deprivation, hospital level, and other comorbidities. Surgery performed in the third trimester was associated with a significantly increased rate of prematurity (aOR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.03–1.85), but lower rates of stillbirth (aOR: 0.1; 95% CI: 0.01–0.75) and Apgar score <7 at the 5th minute (aOR: 0.2; 95% CI: 0.05–0.82), than surgery performed in the first trimester.Conclusions: Pregnancies with nonobstetric surgery during gestation were associated with increased risks of prematurity, low birth weight, low Apgar scores, neonatal and infant death, longer admission, and higher medical expenses than those without surgery. Furthermore, surgery in the third trimester was associated with a higher rate of prematurity than surgery performed in the first trimester.Trial registration: Not applicable

Case Report: Pregnancy with Fetal Hydrathorax

Background: Cases of fetal hydrothorax (FHT) are rare, with an occurrence probability of 1 in every 10,000-15,000 pregnancies. The condition may remain undiagnosed, and the fetus may be aborted, or death may occur soon after birth in outlying hospitals before transfer to a tertiary care center. The incidence rate of FHT is higher in males than females (2:1). One of the most effective methods of diagnosing fetal hydrothorax is sonography. Three forms of currently available treatments are: thoracentesis, thoracoamniotic shunting (TAS), and thoracomaternal cutaneous drainage. Fetal outcomes could be improved by performing the Extrauterine Intrapartum Treatment (EXIT) procedure.Case Presentation: We present two cases of first pregnancy primary FHT. In the first case, a 24-year-old woman was diagnosed with asymptomatic FHT in the 28th week of gestation without any prior history. In the second case, a 22-year-old woman with poor medical history was diagnosed in the 35th week of pregnancy and was experienced difficulty of breathing. Both pregnancies were delivered by cesarean section based on obstetric indications. Thoracentesis was performed on both neonates, and pathological examination of the pleural fluid was conducted. However, they died shortly after birth.Conclusion: The EXIT procedure is still a challenging method. A fetus with FHT is at significant risk of pulmonary hypoplasia and respiratory distress following delivery. Early diagnosis and intervention of FHT are vital to ensure a good prognosis. Approaching multidisciplinary groups, providing supportive diagnostic facilities and financial support is essential in improving fetal outcomes and preventing FHT in subsequent pregnancies.

How to evaluate and treat the spectrum of TMA syndromes in pregnancy

Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is the broad definition for thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and end-organ damage. Two important categories are thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and complement-mediated hemolytic-uremic syndrome (CM-HUS). Pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period are associated with TMAs specific to pregnancy in rare situations. These include pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, and hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets. TTP and CM-HUS may present in pregnancy. However, the diagnosis may not be immediately obvious as they share characteristics of pregnancy-related TMAs. Within this review, we discuss investigations, differential diagnosis of TMAs in pregnancy, and management. The importance is a risk of maternal mortality but also poor fetal outcomes in relation to TTP and CM-HUS. Treatment of these disorders at presentation in pregnancy is discussed to achieve remission and prolong fetal viability if possible. In subsequent pregnancies, a treatment pathway is presented that has been associated with successful maternal and fetal outcomes. Critical to this is a multidisciplinary approach involving obstetricians, the fetal medicine unit, and neonatologists.

History of Adverse Pregnancy on Subsequent Maternal-Fetal Outcomes in Patients with Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy: A Retrospective Cohort Study from a Chinese Single Center

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Gestation complications have a recurrence risk and could predispose to each other in the next pregnancy. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between a history of adverse pregnancy and maternal-fetal outcomes in subsequent pregnancy in patients with Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A retrospective cohort study from a Chinese single center was conducted. Pregnant women with biopsy-proven primary IgAN and aged ≥18 years were enrolled and divided into the 2 groups by a history of adverse pregnancy. The primary outcome was adverse pregnancy outcome, which included maternal-fetal outcomes. Logistical regression model was used to evaluate the association of a history of adverse pregnancy with subsequent adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Ninety-one women with 100 pregnancies were included, of which 54 (54%) pregnancies had a history of adverse pregnancy. IgAN patients with adverse pregnancy history had more composite maternal outcomes (70.4% vs. 45.7%, <i>p</i> = 0.012), while there was no difference in the composite adverse fetal outcomes between the 2 groups (55.6% vs. 45.7%). IgAN patients with a history of adverse pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of subsequent adverse maternal outcomes (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.64; 95% CI, 1.07–6.47). Similar results were shown in those with baseline serum albumin &#x3c;3.5 g/dL, 24 h proteinuria ≥1 g/day, and a history of hypertension. There was no association between a history of adverse pregnancy and subsequent adverse fetal outcomes in IgAN patients (adjusted OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 0.63–3.87). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> A history of adverse pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of subsequent adverse maternal outcomes, but not for adverse fetal outcomes in IgAN patients.