Herpes Simplex Virus Infection in Pregnancy

Infection with herpes simplex is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. Because the infection is common in women of reproductive age it can be contracted and transmitted to the fetus during pregnancy and the newborn. Herpes simplex virus is an important cause of neonatal infection, which can lead to death or long-term disabilities. Rarely in the uterus, it occurs frequently during the transmission delivery. The greatest risk of transmission to the fetus and the newborn occurs in case of an initial maternal infection contracted in the second half of pregnancy. The risk of transmission of maternal-fetal-neonatal herpes simplex can be decreased by performing a treatment with antiviral drugs or resorting to a caesarean section in some specific cases. The purpose of this paper is to provide recommendations on management of herpes simplex infections in pregnancy and strategies to prevent transmission from mother to fetus

The higher temperature in the areola supports the natural progression of the birth to breastfeeding continuum.

Numerous functional features that promote the natural progression of the birth to breastfeeding continuum are concentrated in the human female's areolar region. The aim of this study was to look more closely into the thermal characteristics of areola, which are said to regulate the local evaporation rate of odors and chemical signals that are uniquely important for the neonate's 'breast crawl'. A dermatological study of the areolae and corresponding intern breast quadrants was undertaken on the mothers of 70 consecutive, healthy, full-term breastfed infants. The study took place just after the births at the Policlinico Abano Terme, in Italy from January to February 2014. Temperature, pH and elasticity were assessed one day postpartum using the Soft Plus 5.5 (Callegari S.P.A., Parma, Italy). The mean areolar temperature was found to be significantly higher than the corresponding breast quadrant (34.60 ±1.40°C vs. 34.04 ±2.00°C, p<0.001) and the pH was also significantly higher (4.60±0.59 vs. 4.17±0.59, p<0.001). In contrast, the elasticity of the areolar was significantly lower (23.52±7.83 vs. 29.02±8.44%, p<0.003). Our findings show, for the first time, that the areolar region has a higher temperature than the surrounding breast skin, together with higher pH values and lower elasticity. We believe that the higher temperature of the areolar region may act as a thermal signal to guide the infant directly to the nipple and to the natural progression of the birth to breastfeeding continuum

Maternal and neonatal anthropometrical and clinical characteristics at birth.

<p>Data are expressed as number (n) and percentage (%) or median (IQR, interquartile range).</p><p>Maternal and neonatal anthropometrical and clinical characteristics at birth.</p

Dermatologic features of the areola and corresponding inside breast quadrant.

<p>Data are expressed as number (n) and percentage (%) or mean standard deviation (±SD).</p><p>Dermatologic features of the areola and corresponding inside breast quadrant.</p

Gestational weight gain and fetal growth in underweight women

Abstract Background Despite the current obesity epidemic, maternal underweight remains a common occurrence with potential adverse perinatal outcomes. Methods We aimed to investigate the relationship between weight gain during pregnancy, and fetal growth in underweight women with low and late fertility. Women body mass index (BMI), defined according to the World Health Organization’s definition, gestational weight gain (GWG), defined by the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council and neonatal birth weight were prospectively collected at maternity ward of Policlinico Abano Terme (Italy) in 793 consecutive at term, uncomplicated deliveries. Results Among those, 96 (12.1 %) were categorized as underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), 551 (69.5 %) as normal weight, 107 (13.4 %) as overweight, and 39 (4.9 %) as obese, respectively. In all mother groups, GWG was within the range recommended by IOM 2009 guidelines. However, underweight women gained more weight in pregnancy (12.8 ± 3.9 kg) in comparison to normal weight (12.3 ± 6.7 kg) and overweight (11.0 ± 4.7 kg) women and their GWG was significantly higher (p < 0.001) with respect to obese women 5.8 ± 6.1 kg). In addition, offspring of underweight women were comparable in size at birth to offspring of normal weight women, whereas they were significantly lighter to offspring of both overweight and obese women. Conclusions Pre-pregnancy underweight does not impact birth weight of healthy, term neonates in presence of normal GWG. Presumably, medical or personal efforts to reach ‘optimal’ GWG could be a leading choice for many women living in industrialized and in low-income countries

Does ST analysis of fetal ECG reduce cesarean section rate for fetal distress?

Objective: Each pregravidic, gestational or intrapartum complication may, per se, have a different impact on the operative delivery rate, regardless of which fetal monitoring system was adopted. We wanted to verify if CTG plus ST interval analysis (STAN) of fetal ECG might be able to reduce the number of operative delivery for fetal distress in high-risk pregnancies compared to low-risk women monitored with CTG alone. Materials and methods: In this cohort study, we evaluated 100 high-risk pregnancies consecutively with STAN\uc2\uae S31 (Neoventa Medical, Gotenburg, Sweden) and 160 low-risk pregnancies consecutively with continuous CTG (Hewlett Packard, 50 IP, Palo Alto, CA). Results: We found that STAN monitoring, although associated with a higher total operativity rate, both vaginal (11% versus 3.12%, p = 0.015) and cesarean (17% versus 4.37%, p = 0.001), reduced the cesarean section rate performed for fetal distress (29.41% versus 85.71%, p = 0.023) compared with low-risk CTG monitoring group. Conclusion: CTG plus ST interval analysis of fetal ECG reduced the risk of operative cesarean delivery for fetal distress in high-risk gestations