Obstetric and perinatal outcomes of singleton pregnancies conceived via assisted reproductive technology complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus : a prospective cohort study

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Assisted conception as a potential prognostic factor predicting insulin therapy in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus

Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank Royan institute and hospitals related to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, as well as patients for their invaluable contributions to the performance of the current research. Funding No financial support.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Successful local and systemic medical treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy and a subsequent term pregnancy after treatment: a case series

Background: Treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is controversial. The objective of this study was to report our successful experience in the medical treatment of CSP with potassium chloride (KCl) and methotrexate. Case: This is a case series of six patients between 6-12 gestational weeks with the diagnosis of CSP. In five cases the fetus was alive and in one case, despite being at a gestational age of 12 weeks based on CRL, there was no fetal heart activity. In four of these cases, an ultrasound- guided KCl injection in the heart was performed on four living fetuses and then systemic methotrexate was administered. In two other cases, methotrexate was injected into the gestational sac and subsequently the systemic methotrexate was administered. During follow-up, the patients were stable and no complications occurred. Additionally, serum beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) was negative between five to 11 weeks later. One of the patients became pregnant one year later. Her pregnancy continued without any complication and she was delivered by cesarean section at the gestational age of 38 weeks. During caesarean section, it was noticed that the appearance of previous cesarean scar was normal and there was no scar. Conclusion: Based on our experience, the combination of systemic Methotrexate with local Methotrexate or KCl is feasible and can be performed as an outpatient procedure and is successful in the treatment of CSP

The role of ultrasound in the prediction of successful induction of labour

Background: So far, there has not been conducted the study in Iran about the role of ultrasound in the prediction of successful induction of labour. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of sonographic parameters that may help clinicians to improve the prediction of the outcome of induction and need for ripening of cervix before induction. Materials and Methods: In this prospective study, the number of 298 singleton pregnancies that attended for the induction of labour at Shariati and Arash Hospitals in 2017 was evaluated. Immediately before the induction, transvaginal sonography was performed for the measurement of cervical length and posterior cervical angle, and a transabdominal scan was carried out to determine the position of the foetal occiput. Cox proportional hazard model was used for determination of the effects of independent predictor variables on the induction-to-delivery time. Results: The most common indication for the induction was movement reduction and prolonged pregnancy with 20.5% and 18.5% of cases, respectively. The mean of posterior cervical angle in patient delivered vaginally was 124 ± 18 and in patient delivered by caesarean section was 100 ± 26.5 (P < 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of sonography compared Bishop score for the likelihood of vaginal delivery within 24 h and was 93.98%, 47.56%, 75% and 82.52%, respectively. Conclusion: The use of parameters of sonographic to predict the outcome of induction enables the clinician to present precise information to mothers and plan for the further management of the pregnancy

Can delivery mode influence future ovarian reserve? Anti-Mullerian hormone levels and antral follicle count following cesarean section: a prospective cohort study

Abstract Background The incidence of Cesarean has increased in recent years. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of cesarean section on ovarian reserve. This is a prospective cohort study from January 2016 to November 2017. Inclusion criteria included singleton primigravid pregnant women whose gestational age was above 37 weeks. Exclusion criteria included history of infertility, pelvic surgery, underlying chronic diseases, any adverse pregnancy outcome and postpartum complication in current pregnancy and hormonal medication within six months of delivery. Anti-Mullerian hormone was measured at the admission time for delivery. The type of delivery was determined based on obstetrics indications. Six months after delivery, antral follicle count was performed and anti-Mullerian hormone was measured again. Result(s) First blood sample was taken from 730 women. After excluding 550 women, the second blood sample was taken from 180 participants. The mean of first anti-Mullerian hormone in women with cesarean and vaginal delivery were 1.01 ng/mL (95% CI 0.82 to 1.18) and 1.18 ng/mL (95% CI 0.96 to 1.40) respectively (P = 0.211). The mean of second anti-Mullerian hormone in women with cesarean and vaginal delivery were 4.77 ng/mL (95% CI:3.91 to 5.63) and 4.92 ng/mL (95% CI: 4.01 to 5.82) respectively (P = 0.818). No statistically significant difference existed in total AFC between cesarean and vaginal delivery groups (MD: 0.41, 95% CI: − 1.05 to 1.89, P = 0.576). Conclusion Antral follicle count and anti-Mullerian hormone, six month after delivery, are not affected by delivery mode even after adjusting for women’s age, baseline Anti-Mullerian hormone, body mass index, gestational age at delivery, breastfeeding, postpartum menstruation, neonatal sex and weight. Based on our best knowledge, this is the first report that investigates the effects of delivery mode on ovarian reserve. Decreased fertility following cesarean has been shown in some previous studies but most of them had assessed this association based on the incidence of subsequent pregnancy. Since subsequent pregnancy can be influenced by several confounding factors, we investigated the effect of cesarean on fertility using its impact on anti-Mullerian hormone levels and antral follicle count. We hope that this study will be a beginning of more detailed studies in this field. We believe that this link is yet to be studied

Urinary incontinence and pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy: a clinical trial

Background: To examine the association among pelvic girdle pain (PGP), urinary incontinence (UI) and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function in pregnant women in second and third trimester. Methods: 300 pregnant women who admitted for standard pregnancy care were enrolled in the study. Urinary incontinency was measured via the international consultation on incontinence questionnaire short form. Pelvic girdle pain was diagnosed according to existing guidelines. Vaginal examination assessed pelvic muscles contract- relax patterns and muscle strength. The software stata version 13 (Stata Corp., TX, USA) was used for data analysis. Results: Overall 300 women (150 with PGP and 150 without PGP) were included in final analyses. There was not significant differences between the demographic data including, body mass index before pregnancy, maternal age, mode of delivery. Prevalence of urinary incontinence in women with pelvic girdle pain was 41.5 percent (CI 95%: 32.01- 51.48) while the prevalence of urinary incontinence in women without pain was 21.9 percent (CI 95%: 14.99-30.03). Using logistic regression, the relationship between urinary incontinence and pelvic girdle pain was significant. (CI 95%: 1.07-3.31, P=0.02). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between PGP and pelvic floor muscle function and results showed that pelvic floor muscle strength in women with PGP was significantly lower than women without PGP. (CI 95%: 0.24-0.68, OR= 0.4, P<0.001). The duration of the contraction of the pelvic floor muscles in patients with PGP was significantly shorter than women without PGP. (CI 95%: 0.21-0.60, OR =0.35, P<0.001). Conclusion: There was a significant association between pelvic girdle pain and urinary incontinence during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and also the pelvic floor muscle strength and duration of the contraction of the pelvic floor muscles in women with pelvic girdle pain was significantly lower than those without PGP

‘Elective caesarean section at 38–39 weeks gestation compared to > 39 weeks on neonatal outcomes: a prospective cohort study

Abstract Background This study was conducted to compare neonatal complications in scheduled cesarean sections (CS) between 38 and 39 gestational weeks with CS performed after 39 gestational weeks in Iranian low -risk pregnant women. Methods In this cohort study, 2086 patients were enrolled based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The neonates were evaluated in terms of the following items: transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), sepsis, need for NICU hospitalization, birth weight, birth height, head circumference, and the first minute and fifth minute Apgar score. Several multiple logistic regression models were performed for each response variable (adverse outcome) separately. Results The incidence of NICU admission was significantly higher in neonates born at 38–39 gestational weeks than those who were born after 39 gestational weeks. No significant differences were found in the incidence of neonatal sepsis, TTN, and RDS between the two groups. Conclusion According to our study results, elective CS at 38–9 weeks’ gestation is associated with a higher rate of TTN and NICU admission in comparison with elective CS performed after 39 completed gestational weeks

Co-culture of human cryopreserved fragmented ovarian tissue with theca progenitor cells derived from theca stem cells.

Despite the significant advances in the in vitro development of human primordial follicles, it is still a challenging approach with great potential for improvements. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of a feeder layer of human theca progenitor cells (hTPCs) on the development of primordial follicles embedded in human ovarian tissue. Fragments of frozen-thawed ovarian tissue were activated using the vanadate-derivative dipotassium bisperoxo (5-hydroxy-pyridine-2-carboxylic) oxovanadate (V) and kit ligand for 24 h. Then, the specimens were divided into the co-culture and mono-culture groups and were cultured with and without a hTPC feeder layer for 6 days, respectively. Afterward, the follicles were counted and classified, and the hormone levels and expression levels of apoptosis- and folliculogenesis-related genes were assessed. Both culture groups showed significant follicle growth (P < 0.05). However, the co-culture group had a significantly higher number of growing follicles compared to the other group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the expression levels of ZP1, ZP2, ZP3, BMP-7, AMH, and GDF9 were significantly higher in the co-culture group compared to the other group (P < 0.05), while the expression levels of P53 and CASP3 were significantly lower (P < 0.05). Also, the concentrations of estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and androstenedione were significantly higher in the co-culture group compared to the other group (P < 0.05). The present study results provided novel evidence on the direct role of hTPCs in the growth and development of human primordial follicles. However, there is a need for future studies to illustrate the underlying mechanisms. Schematic summary of the results. According to our results, the expression of ZP1, ZP2, ZP3, and GDF9 in the oocytes, AMH in the granulosa cells, and BMP4 in the theca cells of the co-culture group were significantly higher than those of the mono-culture and non-culture groups, while the expression of apoptotic genes (BAX, CASP3, and P53) was significantly lower. Moreover, the co-culture group showed significantly increased levels of estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and androstenedione in its culture media compared to the mono-culture groups

Cervical gland area as an ultrasound marker for prediction of preterm delivery: A cohort study

Background: Preterm labor is a major cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality and it might be predicted by assessing the cervical change. Objective: To assess the association between absence of cervical gland area (CGA) and spontaneous preterm labor (SPTL). Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study was performed on 200 singleton pregnant women with a history of SPTL, second-trimester abortion in the previous pregnancy or lower abdominal pain in current pregnancy. Each patient underwent one transvaginal ultrasound examination between 14-28 wk of gestation. Cervical length was measured and CGA was identified and their relationship with SPTL before 35 and 37 wk gestation was evaluated using STATA software version 10. Results: The mean of cervical length was 36.5 mm (SD=8.4), the shortest measurement was 9 mm, and the longest one was 61 mm. Short cervical length (&le;18mm) was significantly associated with SPTL before 35 and 37 wk gestation. Cervical gland area (the hypoechogenic or echogenic area around the cervical canal) was present in 189 (94.5%) patients. Absent of CGA had a significant relationship with SPTL before 35 and 37 wk gestation (p=0.01 and p<0.001, respectively). Cervical length was shorter in women with absent CGA in comparison with subjects with present CGA: 37&plusmn;10 mm in CGA present group and 23&plusmn;9 mm in CGA absent group (p<0.001). Conclusion: Our study showed that cervical gland area might be an important predictor of SPTL which should be confirmed with further researches

The effect of hydroxychloroquine on pregnancy outcomes in patients with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss: a placebo-controlled study “pilot study”

This double-blind placebo-controlled study investigated the effect of hydroxychloroquine on pregnancy outcomes in people with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL). The inclusion criteria included gestational age ≤6 weeks and a history of at least two miscarriages. The exclusion criteria included any known cause for previous abortions or a history of any chronic diseases. Participants were given 200 mg hydroxychloroquine or placebo twice a day until gestational week 20. Twenty-nine women were enrolled. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, BMI, gravidity, previous abortion, relative married couple, and infertility. Miscarriage occurred in five women including one in the hydroxychloroquine group (7.69%) and four women in the placebo group (28.57%) (OR: 2.36, 95% PL CI:1.07, 8.93). However, after adjusting for potential confounders, there was no significant difference between the two groups (aOR: 2.96, 95%CI: 0.91, 10.02).IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on this subject? Miscarriage, a prevalent concern in the field reproductive medicine, causes psychological and family problems for couples. Unfortunately, no effective treatment has been yet found for URPL. There are some hypotheses about the role of immunological factors in URPL. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has various immunological effects and may theoretically have a role in the treatment of URPL. Although few studies have been registered to investigate the effect of HCQ on URPL, none of them has been published. What do the results of this study add? In our double-blind placebo-controlled trial, the prevalence of abortion in the HCQ group was four times lower than that in the placebo group, however, this difference was not statistically significant, which can be attributed to the small sample size. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? We hope that HCQ will be of interest to researchers and future research help clarify the role of HCQ in preventing URPL