[Managing premature rupture of the membranes before 24 weeks].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to F Puech.
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OBJECTIVE: The authors want to appraise the management of diabetes prior to pregnancy in a local population treated in the Lille University Hospital. METHOD: This is a retrospective study of 143 pregnancies occurring in 111 patients with diabetes prior to pregnancy, between 1987 and 1997, in the Obstetrics Department at the Lille University Hospital. RESULTS: Only one-third of the patients benefited from preconception management; the stability of diabetes during the first trimester was satisfactory in 50% of the cases. The maternal complications are represented by preeclampsia (20%), metabolic complications specific to diabetes (hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis), the aggravation or the emergence of a retinopathy (10%) and polyhydramnios (19%). Concerning the termination of the pregnancies, of the 147 fetuses (four twin pregnancies), 140 newborns in good health, two neonatal deaths, three in-utero deaths and two therapeutic terminations of pregnancy were observed. The fetal malformation rate was 9.5% (14 cases/147). The cesarean section rate was 63%, whereas the fetal macrosomatia rate was 35%, with dystocia in 26% of the deliveries (outside of planned cesareans). Three shoulder dystocia were observed (two requiring the Jacquemier's maneuver and one with transitory plexus brachial palsy for a newborn weighing 5,650 g). CONCLUSION: The authors conclude that preconception management (one-third of the patients in this series) and management of during the first trimester of pregnancy (50% in this series) was insufficient. This fact is perhaps due to the confusion, for many practitioners, with gestational diabetes, which is a very mediatized affection, though much less severe for the fetus and mother.
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OBJECTIVE: Because difficult vaginal delivery is more frequent with macrosomic fetuses, some authors recommend routine caesarean section for the delivery of fetuses >4500 g. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness of this recommendation, in particular, to analyze maternal and fetal complications according to the mode of delivery. METHOD: Maternal and neonatal records of 100 infants with weights of at least 4500 g were identified retrospectively from January 1991 to December 1996. Outcome variables included the mode of delivery and the incidence of maternal and perinatal complications. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 100 infant and mother pairs. Macrosomic fetuses represented 0.95% of all deliveries during this period and only ten were >5000 g. Mean birth weight was 4730 g (maximum, 5780 g). Gestational diabetes was present in nineteen patients. Diabetes was present in three patients. A trial of labour was allowed in 87 women, and elective caesarean delivery was performed in thirteen patients. The overall cesarean rate, including elective caesarean delivery and failed trial of labour, was 36%. Of those undergoing a trial of labour, 73% (64/87) delivered vaginally. Shoulder dystocia occurred fourteen times (22% of vaginal deliveries) and it was the most frequent complication in our series. There were five cases of Erb's palsy, one of which was associated with humeral fracture, and four cases of clavicular fracture. By three months of age, all affected infants were without sequelae. There was no related perinatal mortality and only two cases of birth asphyxia. Maternal complications with vaginal delivery of macrosomic infants included a high incidence of lacerations requiring repair (eleven cases). No complications were noticed in the patients who had a caesarean section. CONCLUSION: Vaginal delivery is a reasonable alternative to elective cesarean section for infants with estimated birth weights of less than 5000 g and a trial of labour can be offered. For the fetuses with estimated birth weight >5000 g, an elective caesarean section should be recommended, especially in primiparous women.
Caudal regression syndrome (CRS) is a rare malformative syndrome seen mainly in cases of maternal diabetes with poor metabolic control. Early detection by vaginal ultrasound is possible. The authors describe three cases of CRS, relating the characteristic ultrasound findings which include abrupt interruption of the spine at the dorsal or lumbar level and abnormal position of the lower limbs. The femur bones are fixed in a 'V' pattern, giving a typical 'Buddha's poise'.
In pregnant women with antecedents of autoimmune thrombocytopenia (AITP), no predictive factor for severe fetal thrombocytopenia has been identified. We evaluated the relationships between the course of the maternal disease before and during pregnancy and the risk of severe fetal thrombocytopenia, in 64 pregnant women with known chronic AITP antecedents, over a 12-year period. 28 pregnant women had undergone splenectomy before pregnancy and 17 experienced severe thrombocytopenia (< 50 x 10(9)/l) during pregnancy (monthly determination). Eight infants presented with severe thrombocytopenia at birth (12.5%), and four in the following days (6.25%). No severe haemorrhage was observed. Severe thrombocytopenia at birth was present in 57% (CI 95% 18-90%) of the infants born to mothers with severe pregnancy-associated thrombocytopenia and splenectomy antecedents, and in 0% (CI 95% 0-15%) of the infants born to mothers who presented none of these antecedents (P=0.001). In thrombocytopenic mothers the infant platelet counts at birth were positively correlated to the nadir maternal platelet count during the index pregnancy (r=0.42, P=0.0075). These results suggest that severe autoimmune disease is a risk factor for severe fetal thrombocytopenia, and that pregnant women with no antecedent of splenectomy nor severe thrombocytopenia during pregnancy have a very low risk of severe fetal thrombocytopenia.
The objective of this study was to analyse the relation between severity of maternal condition at the time of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and various individual and institutional factors. This study analysed data from a retrospective population-based study in three French regions during 1991. The population study included 355 patients who were admitted to an ICU during pregnancy, delivery or within 42 days after delivery, for an obstetrical cause. The main outcome measure was the severity of maternal condition at ICU admission estimated from the level of consciousness and from the Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS). The most severe maternal condition was associated with a change in hospital category (from the initially chosen hospital to the hospital referring for ICU) (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.5-9.6) and with treatment in a private hospital at ICU referral (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.3-8.3). Foreign nationality was the only individual factor related to very severe maternal condition. These results suggest that health care organisation during pregnancy affects the prognosis of severe maternal condition. The factors involved appear to include the management of unpredictable disorders, the conditions of maternal transfers before ICU admission, and antenatal care of foreigners.
OBJECTIVE: To present the different etiologies of fetal cerebral ventriculomegaly (VA) and try to evaluate prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was made in 141 cases of fetal cerebral ventriculomegaly diagnosed in our obstetrics department between January 1988 and December 1996. RESULTS: Mean gestational age at diagnosis was 24.8 weeks. Myelomeningoceles were the most frequent etiology (50 cases, 36%), usually diagnosed late in pregnancy (25 weeks gestation). Termination of pregnancy was the most frequent outcome. Agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC) was observed in 16 cases (11%), 8 of them being diagnosed before birth. This etiology has been an important diagnostic problem until recent years. The advent of improved imaging techniques has facilitated diagnostic procedures. Thus in 1996, the 4 ACC were all diagnosed by prenatal ultrasound. The 8 live infants presented developmental retardation. Termination of pregnancy has been performed more and more frequently in accordance with parent wishes. In 6 cases (4%), the etiology was congenital infection. When a chromosome anomaly was found (7%), ventriculomegaly was always associated with other ultrasonographic anomalies. Ventriculomegaly was associated with other malformations in 23% of the cases but only 17% were discovered prenatally; all the live infants but one had severe neurological impairment. Ventriculomegaly was considered to be the unique anomaly in 37% of the prenatal cases and was truly unique in 24%, an etiology being found in 6%. No explanation was found in 18%. The outcome of live infants is known in 139 cases (2 children lost to follow-up) after a 6 month to 6 year follow-up. Overall prognosis was severe as among the 42 infants (30%), 14 (10%) are well including 12 who had ventriculomegaly alone. CONCLUSION: Prenatal diagnosis of ventriculomegaly implies a severe prognosis. Only children presenting limited ventriculomegaly alone have normal neurological development. In case of ventriculomegaly, clinicians must search carefully for other anomalies, always associated with poor prognosis.
Triploidies are pregnancies that show a 69 chromosome karyotype. This chromosomal abnormality gives rise to early abortion in most cases. Triploid pregnancies, after the first three months, become molar pregnancies (molar changes inside the placenta with identifiable embryonic structures and a preeclampsia) or non molar pregnancies (isolated intauterin growth retardation). Several possibilities concerning the origin of the additional set of chromosomes exist: dispermy (the most common), diandry and digyny. The maternal and fetal clinical manifestations of this chromosomal abnormality are very diverse, which explains the difficulty of finding and recognizing this pathology. Mac Fadden's classification does not explain all the phenotypic triploid physiopathology. Formal diagnosis of triploidy depends on the fetal karyotype. The better the maternal prognosis is, the worst the fetal prognosis is. Postnatal life expectancy is not more than a few weeks. In most cases, maternal associated complications disappear with the molar evacuation. The risk of post molar tumor is discussed. However, good management of triploidy is based on an early diagnosis, before birth if that is possible.
We report two cases of prenatal diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta (type S of Marotaux), diagnosed at 23 and 24 weeks of gestation, revealed by of an ultrasound scan which noted an abnormal femoral incurvation. The problem of differential diagnosis with other diseases causing femoral incurvation (notably campomelic dysplasia) is difficult, especially at early stage. This question is debated here. The interest to associate ultrasound scan and uterine contents radiography is so demonstrated.
OBJECTIVE: We propose to specify the different criteria of estimation and management in presence of a ultrasound discovery of a choroid plexus cyst. METHOD: A detailed review of the literature about this subject allowed to better apprehend the different attitudes taken up by the authors. RESULTS: Fetal choroid plexus cysts (CPC) are potentially useful markers for trisomy 18 in as much as they are present in about 50% of affected fetuses and they are easily seen in the standard biparietal diameter view which is obtained for all routine ultrasound scans. However, advice is contradictory as to whether karyotyping should be proposed for all fetuses (1-2% of the population) where fetal CPC are diagnosed. CONCLUSION: The review of the literature show that the majority of the authors advocate amniocentesis when the CPC is associated with another ultrasound abnormality. Isolated, it imposes regular and meticulous morphologic ultrasound supervision to search for another possible associated ultrasound abnormality, if necessary, in a prenatal diagnosis center.
We reviewed the literature on ultrasonographic criteria allowing prenatal diagnosis of chromosome aberrations, especially the most frequent: trisomy. Signs vary depending on the term of the ultrasound examination (first trimester ultrasound is often performed to early and several signs are observed in the second trimester). During the first trimester, the main criteria is the diagnosis of nuchal clearness 3 mm. The distance can only be measured with an appropriate sagittal CRL section by an experienced operator. The ideal term of this morphology ultrasound is 10 weeks gestation. During the second trimester, there are many suggestive criteria including non-specific signs: anomalous quantity of amniotic fluid, short femur, nuchal thickness 6 mm, isolated anomaly of the umbilical velocimetry, pyelectasy and fetal malformations (mainly cerebral or abdominal, including ophalocele and diaphragmatic hernia, anomalies, abnormal heart anatomy, cystic hygroma, facial anomalies and malformations of the members, often abnormal flexion of the hands).
Since Liggins and Howie first published their work, numerous studies have shown that corticosteroids significantly decrease perinatal mortality and morbidity, without complication for the mothers and child. Corticosteroids should be prescribed in case of threatening premature birth. Imminent delivery premature rupture of the membranes and gestationnal age over 34 weeks are not contraindications to prescription, as corticosteroids can be safely given all in these circumstances. Theoretically, more than half of premature neonates should have been treated with corticosteroids. Actually, only 20% or less are currently treated. The cost-effectiveness ratio of an antenatal corticosteroid policy would be extremely positive: more than 1,500 prenatal deaths could theoretically be avoided in France annually and the overall cost of neonatal care would decrease by 10%.
We recently observed a case of congenital rubella which had gone unrecognized despite regular obstetrical care. This case emphasizes the importance of careful screening for rubella at diagnosis of pregnancy. Minute analysis of the initial maternal antibody levels is essential to rule out possible contamination during pregnancy. The problem of interpreting serodiagnostic data is discussed.
Prenatal diagnosis of genetic abnormalities requires nucleated fetal cells which are currently obtained by invasive techniques such as amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling and percutaneous umbilical blood sampling. Each of these entails a risk to the foetus and sometimes to the mother. Nucleated fetal cells have been reported to be present in maternal blood. Recovery of fetal cells from maternal blood would allow a noninvasive prenatal diagnosis. Their rarity (1 fetal cell for 10(6) to 10(8) maternal cells) presents a technical challenge. Due to the small number of fetal cells, sensitive analysis techniques such as PCR and FISH are necessary. Some degree of fetal cells enrichment in the maternal blood sample often precedes the analysis. Different techniques are used for the enrichment: discontinuous density gradient, magnetic activated cell sorting, fluorescence activated cell sorting, micromanipulator.... Several prenatal diagnosis have already been performed from maternal venous blood samples: diagnosis of gender, RhD blood genotype, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and hemoglobinopathy by PCR, diagnosis of gender and chromosome aneuploidy by FISH. Many teams are working on this subject. It is difficult to compare the studies because the techniques of enrichment and analysis vary. We review the different strategies chosen for prenatal diagnosis from maternal blood and discuss the results.
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