Relationship Between Pregnancy Complications and Serum Pregnancy Associated-Plasma-Protein-A and Free-β-Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in the First Trimester Among Iranian Women

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between maternal serum levels of pregnancy-associated-plasma-protein-A (PAPP-A) and β-human-chorionic-gonadotropin (β-hCG) and pregnancy complications. Materials and methods: This is a case-control study conducted during 2015- 2016. Women at their first pregnancy were enrolled and serum PAPP-A and free-β-hCG were measured in 9-14 weeks of gestation. They were followed till the end of pregnancylooking for complications including preterm labor, pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH), abortion, and intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR). Results: A total of 1070 pregnant women (mean age: 28.64 ± 4.95 years) were enrolled. Low serum levels of PAPP-A were more frequent in patients developing IUGR (17.4% versus 1.2%, p 0.05). Conclusion: There is an association between low serum levels of PAPP-A and developing IUGR, preterm labor, and PIH

A massive stroke in a pregnant woman following COVID-19 infection: A case report

Background and aims: COVID-19 infection increases the risk of pathological thrombotic events in venous and arterial circulation. COVID-19 patients are reported, a wide range of neurovascular symptoms is highlighted, such as cerebral vascular accidence. This study aimed to report a massive stroke in a pregnant woman with COVID-19 infection. Case Report: We report a 41-year-old pregnant woman, gravid 5 para 2 living 2 abortion 2 at gestational age 22 weeks and 4 days with Covid-19 infection, which developed into a massive stroke in the Basilar artery despite receiving a therapeutic dosage of Enoxaparin Sodium. Conclusion: The possibility of thrombosis should be considered in COVID-19 patients with symptoms indicating an increase in intracranial pressure (ICP) such as decreased consciousness, strabismus, and agitation. Considering the higher risk of thrombotic events in COVID-19 patients, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) could be a possible consequence. Thus, the precise observation of neurologic manifestations in covid-19 patients, especially in pregnant women, is recommended

Comparing the impact of acupuncture and pethidine on reducing labor pain

Background: Generally 50 to 70 percent of women suffer from a severe and unbearable pain during their childbirth. Abnormal fetal heart patterns, an increase of caesarian delivery rate, prolonged labor and low APGAR score in newborn are some of adverse effects of labor pain. Disagreement between different studies regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of acupuncture on labor pain led us to do this study. Materials and Methods: This is a clinical trial study. Sampling was done randomly in Esfahan, Shahid Beheshti Hospital, based on the subjects′ characteristics. Patients were classified into three groups of control, Pethidine and acupuncture (27-30 women in each group). All women with a first and second pregnancy.VAS pain ruler was used as data collection tool. Data were analyzed in SPSS software, and using ANOVA and kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: The average pain score in control group 30 min after intervention was 7.80, while in Pethidine and acupuncture groups respectively were 6.87 and 5.77. Kruskal-Walis test showed that three groups in pain severity had significant difference at this time. The average length of the active phase of labor in Pethidine and acupuncture groups was 175 min while this time in control group was 243 min that ANOVA test showed a significant difference (P = 0.000). Conclusion: Results showed that acupuncture can significantly reduce labor pain in 30 min after intervention, while it had no effect on labor pain at full dilatation. However, both in Pethidine and acupuncture groups, the length of the active phase has been considerably shortened

Complete bicornuate uterus with complete transverse vaginal septum

Bicornuate uterus has two symmetric uterine cavities that are fused caudally and have some degree of communication between two cavities, usually at the uterine isthmus. A complete bicornuate uterus has a seperatory cleft of tissue that is extended to the internal OS. Lesser degree of septation of the two uterine horns has constitution, a partial bicornuate uterus. Bicornuate uterus is a class of four anomaly of American fertility society classification of mullerian anomalies. Here we report a case of a 19-year-old female patient with complaint of abdominal pain and spotting since 4 months ago. In sonography it revealed bicornuate uterus and hematocolpos. The patient underwent general anesthesia and examination that reveal the transverse vaginal septum. Septum removed by resectoscope was successful

N-Acetylcysteine as an Adjuvant to Letrozole for Induction of Ovulation in Infertile Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Background: This study was aimed to evaluate the influence of oral N-acetylcysteine (NAC) application as an adjuvant to letrozole on induced ovulation outcomes in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Materials and Methods: This was a placebo-controlled double-blind randomized clinical trial with 130 PCOS patients who were infertile. First, patients were randomly divided into two groups. Patients in Group 1 were administered letrozole 5 mg/d plus NAC 1.2 g/d and patients in Group 2 were administered letrozole plus placebo for 5 days starting at the 3rd day of the menstruation period. On the 12th day of the cycle, ultrasound evaluation was performed, and in whom at least one follicle with an 18–20 mm diameter was found, 10,000 unit human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was prescribed, and 36 h after hCG injection, timed intercourse was advised. On the 16th day, after hCG injection, serum β-hCG level was evaluated. Results: The number of follicles >18 mm was significantly higher in the letrozole + NAC group (P = 0.007). The ovulation and pregnancy rates were also significantly higher in the letrozole + NAC group (P = 0.045). No adverse side effects and no cases of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome were observed in NAC group. Conclusion: NAC is demonstrated to be a safe and well-tolerated adjuvant to letrozole and can increase the pregnancy rates in PCOS patients

Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on the Incidence of Gestational Diabetes

Background: The aim of this study was survey of the effect of Vitamin D supplementation on the incidence of gestational diabetes (GDM) in pregnant women. Materials and Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted at Alzahra and Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Isfahan, Iran, from January, 2013 to January, 2014 on 210 pregnant women referred to gynecology clinics. Serum levels of Vitamin D were measured, and those with lower serum levels of 10 nmol/L randomly divided into two groups of A and B. Pregnant women with normal Vitamin D level assigned as Group C. Group A was given 50,000 IU Vitamin D supplement every 2 weeks for 10 weeks, and Group B were given the omega-3 pearl as placebo. Then, the incidence of GDM was measured in 24–26 weeks of pregnancy with glucose tolerance test and compared in three groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 by descriptive statistics, Chi-square and Logistic regression. Results: The mean age of participants was 24.76 years (8.02 standard deviation, range 16–36 years). The incidence of GDM at 24–26 weeks gestational age were 8.57% in normal Vitamin D group, 10.00% in Vitamin D deficiency with treatment group, and 11.43% in Vitamin D deficiency without treatment group. The difference between groups in terms of incidence of GDM was not statistically significant (P = 0.112). Conclusion: Vitamin D supplementation had not effect on incidence of GDM during pregnancy

Is "Delayed Umbilical Cord Clamping" Beneficial for Premature Newborns?

Background: The appropriate moment for clamping the umbilical cord is controversial. Immediate cord clamping (ICC) is an item of active management of the third stage of labor (AMTSL). Unclamped umbilical cord may cause inconvenience in preterm neonates because they commonly need some levels of emergent services. Some studies revealed delayed cord clamping (DCC) of preterm neonates results in better health conditions like lower rates of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), less morbidities in labor room and lower risk of postpartum hemorrhage. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of delayed umbilical cord clamping on premature neonatal outcomes. Materials and Methods: In this single‑center randomized control trial study, sixty premature neonates (gestational age ≤ 34 weeks) were randomly assigned to ICC (cord clamped at 5–10 seconds) or DCC (30–45 seconds) groups and followed up in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Primary outcomes were 1st and 5th minute Apgar score, average of level of hematocrit after birth, intra ventricle hemorrhage and need some levels of resuscitation. Results: Differences in demographic characteristics were not statistically significant. After birth, neonates who had delayed clamping had significantly higher mean hematocrit after at 4-hour of birth (49.58+5.15gr/dl vs. 46.58+5.40gr/dlin DCC vs. ICC groups, respectively) (P=0.031). Delayed cord clamping reduced the duration of need to nasal continues positive airway pressure (NCPAP) (86.7% and 60.0% in ICC and DCC groups, respectively, P= 0.039). Attractively, the results showed lower incidence of clinical sepsis in delayed cord clamping neonates (53.3% vs. 23.3% in ICC and DCC groups, respectively, P=0.033). Conclusion: Prematurity complications might decrease by delay umbilical cord clamping which improve the hematocrit, duration of need to NCPAP and incidence of clinical sepsis. Furthermore, DCC may have no negative impact on neonatal resuscitation

Effect of Exposure to Air Pollution on Placental Weight in Isfahan-Iran

Objective: To determine the effect of Air Quality Index (AQI) in the first trimester of pregnancy on birth weight, placental weight, and the ratio of placental weight to the birth weight (pw-bw) in Isfahan. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was done on 312 consecutive pregnant women in Beheshti Hospital in Isfahan city in 2013. Information on air pollution was received from the Environmental department of Isfahan. Average exposure to air pollution in the first trimester of pregnancy was calculated for eachpregnant woman. In order to compare quantitative and qualitative variables, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and chi-square were applied. After that, the multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess the association the Air Quality Index (AQI) on birth weight, placental weight and the ratio of pw-bw. Potential confounders including age, baby gender, smoking of husband, maternal BMI, maternal occupation, and education and mother’s residential area were considered. A statistical significant association were considered for P-value less than 0.05. Results: The findings showed that there is inverse relationship between exposure to air pollution and placental weight in the first trimester of pregnancy after controlling potential confounders (β = -2.57, p-value = 0.008). The inverse relationship between air pollution and the ratio of pw-bw was found. (β = -0.001, p-value = 0.002). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that air pollution is associated with newborns’ health which in turn is a warning alarm for considering some actions in both sides of reducing the air pollution and teaching the pregnant women about the adverse effects of air pollution on the pregnancy outcomes

The effect of testosterone gel on fertility outcomes in women with a poor response in in vitro fertilization cycles: A pilot randomized clinical trial

Background: In this study, the effect of testosterone gel administration during ovulation induction on the fertility rate was examined in women with a poor ovarian response in in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. Materials and Methods: The current study is a single-blinded, randomized clinical trial. Patients who met inclusion (Bologna) criteria were placed in the antagonist cycle group. The patients were randomly divided into two groups each included 25 participants treated with a placebo (lubricant gel, the controls) and testosterone gel (intervention). Fertility outcomes were compared between two study groups. Results: The mean ± standard deviation (SD) age of intervention (41.04 ± 3.77) versus control group (39.69 ± 3.29) was not statistically different. The two studied groups were not statistically different in terms of follicle-stimulating hormone; antral follicle count, IVF, anti-Mullerian hormone, and the duration of infertility. The mean ± SD of oocyte 2.48 ± 1.64 versus 1.17 ± 1.27 and embryo 1.60 ± 1.58 versus 0.39 ± 0.58 in intervention group was significantly higher than control group (P < 0.01). The rate of pregnancy 16% versus 0% and embryo of quality A–B was significantly higher in intervention group than control (60% versus 17.4%, P < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of the current study showed that the testosterone gel has a significant impact on the fertility rate in women with a poor response in the IVF cycles. Further, randomized clinical trials with larger sample sized are recommended