Outcomes in emergency versus elective cases of placenta accreta spectrum disorder managed by caesarean-hysterectomy within a dedicated multidisciplinary care team: retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Compare maternal and perinatal outcomes between emergency and elective caesarean-hysterectomy for placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorders managed by a multidisciplinary team. Design and setting: Single-centre retrospective cohort study Population: 125 cases of antenatally suspected and pathologically confirmed PAS disorder. Methods: Maternal and perinatal outcomes were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression was used to test associations, adjusting for potential confounders. Survival curves exploring risk factors for emergency delivery were sought. Main Outcome Measures: Maternal outcomes including hemorrhagic morbidity, operative complications. Perinatal outcomes included gestational age at delivery, birthweight, Apgar scores and perinatal death. Results: 25 (20%) and 100 (80%) patients had emergency and elective delivery, respectively. Emergency delivery had a higher estimated blood loss (median IQR 2772 [2256.75] vs. 1561.19 [1152.95], p<0.001), with a higher rate of coagulopathy (40 vs. 6%; p<0.001) and bladder injury (44 vs. 13%; p<0.001). Emergency delivery was associated with increased rates of blood transfusion (aOR 4.9, CI95% 1.3-17.5, p=0.01), coagulopathy (aOR 16.4, CI95% 2.6-101.4, p=0.002) and urinary tract injury (aOR 6.96, CI95% 1.5-30.7, p=0.01). Gestational age at delivery was lower in the emergency group (mean SD 35.19 [2.77] vs. 31.55 [4.75], p=0.001), no difference in perinatal mortality was found (aOR 0.01, CI95% <0.001-17.5, p=0.53). A sonographically short cervix and/or history of APH had an increased cumulative risk of emergency delivery with advancing gestational age. Conclusions: Patients with PAS disorders managed in a tertiary centre by a multidisciplinary team requiring emergency delivery have increased maternal morbidity and poorer perinatal outcomes than those with elective delivery.

Mid-Trimester Scan is better for Detecting Congenital Anomalies: An Experience from Dhulikhel Hospital

Introduction: Ultrasound is a valuable diagnostic tool for detecting the congenital anomalies in the fetus. Congenital anomalies are detected in 14% of new born. Major anomalies are detected in 2 to 5% of new born. This accounts for 20 % to 30% of total perinatal deaths. Prenatal diagnosis provides variety of management options for the pregnant women ranging from termination of pregnancy, elective delivery or intrauterine manipulation of the anomalies. Aims: To determine the prevalence of the fetal congenital anomalies at 20- 24 weeks ultrasonography. Methods: This is prospective study conducted at Dhulikhel Hospital. Pregnant ladies with singleton pregnancy at 20 to 24 weeks were enrolled for transabdominal ultrasound for detecting congenital anomalies. Results: Of 1027 pregnant ladies screened, anomalies were detected in 31 ladies during mid trimester ultrasound. The overall prevalence of congenital anomalies detected in our study is 3.02% (31 cases), which has sensitivity of 87.8%, specificity of 99.7% and positive predictive values of 93.5%. In our study, mean gestational age during scan was 21+5 weeks of gestation. And 13 pregnant ladies pregnancies were terminated between 20-24 weeks for having major congenital anomaly in fetus. Conclusion: Mid trimester ultrasonography is a valuable method for pregnant ladies to detect the congenital anomalies in fetus. When major anomalies are detected, timely termination of pregnancy have saved the cost and tragedy of losing viable fetus.

Intrauterine death following intraamniotic triiodothyronine and thyroxine therapy for fetal goitrous hypothyroidism associated with polyhydramnios and caused by a thyroglobulin mutation

Summary In the absence of maternal thyroid disease or iodine deficiency, fetal goitre is rare and usually attributable to dyshormonogenesis, for which genetic ascertainment is not always undertaken in the UK. Mechanical complications include tracheal and oesophageal compression with resultant polyhydramnios, malpresentation at delivery and neonatal respiratory distress. We report an Indian kindred in which the proband (first-born son) had congenital hypothyroidism (CH) without obvious neonatal goitre. His mother’s second pregnancy was complicated by fetal hypothyroid goitre and polyhydramnios, prompting amniotic fluid drainage and intraamniotic therapy (with liothyronine, T3 and levothyroxine, T4). Sadly, intrauterine death occurred at 31 weeks. Genetic studies in the proband demonstrated compound heterozygous novel (c.5178delT, p.A1727Hfs*26) and previously described (c.7123G > A, p.G2375R) thyroglobulin (TG) mutations which are the likely cause of fetal goitre in the deceased sibling. TG mutations rarely cause fetal goitre, and management remains controversial due to the potential complications of intrauterine therapy however an amelioration in goitre size may be achieved with intraamniotic T4, and intraamniotic T3/T4 combination has achieved a favourable outcome in one case. A conservative approach, with surveillance, elective delivery and commencement of levothyroxine neonatally may also be justified, although intubation may be required post delivery for respiratory obstruction. Our observations highlight the lethality which may be associated with fetal goitre. Additionally, although this complication may recur in successive pregnancies, our case highlights the possibility of discordance for fetal goitre in siblings harbouring the same dyshormonogenesis-associated genetic mutations. Genetic ascertainment may facilitate prenatal diagnosis and assist management in familial cases. Learning points: CH due to biallelic, loss-of-function TG mutations is well-described and readily treatable in childhood however mechanical complications from associated fetal goitre may include polyhydramnios, neonatal respiratory compromise and neck hyperextension with dystocia complicating delivery. CH due to TG mutations may manifest with variable phenotypes, even within the same kindred. Treatment options for hypothyroid dyshormogenic fetal goitre in a euthyroid mother include intraamniotic thyroid hormone replacement in cases with polyhydramnios or significant tracheal obstruction. Alternatively, cases may be managed conservatively with radiological surveillance, elective delivery and neonatal levothyroxine treatment, although intubation and ventilation may be required to support neonatal respiratory compromise. Genetic ascertainment in such kindreds may enable prenatal diagnosis and anticipatory planning for antenatal management of further affected offspring.

Gestational age at birth and risk of intellectual disability without a common genetic cause: findings from the Stockholm Youth Cohort

BackgroundPreterm birth is linked to intellectual disability and there is evidence to suggest post-term birth may also incur risk. However, these associations have not yet been investigated in the absence of common genetic causes of intellectual disability (where risk associated with late delivery may be preventable) or with methods allowing stronger causal inference from non-experimental data. We aimed to examine risk of intellectual disability without a common genetic cause across the entire range of gestation, using a matched-sibling design to account for unmeasured confounding by shared familial factors.Methods and FindingsWe conducted a population-based retrospective study using data from the Stockholm Youth Cohort (n=499,621) and examined associations in a nested cohort of matched siblings (n=8,034). Children born at non-optimal gestational duration (before/after 40 weeks 3 days) were at greater risk of intellectual disability. Risk was greatest among those born extremely early (adjusted OR24 weeks=14.54 [95% CI 11.46–18.44]), lessening with advancing gestational age toward term (aOR32 weeks=3.59 [3.22–4.01]; aOR37 weeks=1.50 [1.38–1.63]); aOR38 weeks=1.26 [1.16-1.37]; aOR39weeks=1.10 [1.04-1.17]) and increasing with advancing gestational age post-term (aOR42 weeks=1.16 [1.08–1.25]; aOR42 weeks=1.41 [1.21–1.64]; aOR44 weeks=1.71 [1.34–2.18]; aOR45 weeks=2.07 [1.47–2.92]). Associations persisted in a nested cohort of matched outcome-discordant siblings suggesting they were robust against confounding from shared genetic or environmental traits, although there may have been residual confounding by unobserved non-shared characteristics. Risk of intellectual disability was greatest among children showing evidence of fetal growth restriction, especially when birth occurred before or after term.ConclusionsBirth at non-optimal gestational duration may be linked causally with greater risk of intellectual disability. The mechanisms underlying these associations need to be elucidated as they will be relevant to clinical practice concerning elective delivery within the term period and the mitigation of risk in children who are born post-term.