Thyroid-stimulating hormone and free thyroxine fail to predict the severity and clinical course of hyperemesis gravidarum : A prospective cohort study

Funding information: This prospective cohort study was supported by a research grant from North West Hospital Group, Alkmaar, the Netherlands (Grant number: 2013T085) and by a research grant from the Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, the Netherlands (Project number: 23346). ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank Dr. J.P. Bestwick (employed at Queen Mary University of London, London, UK) and Professor Dr. J.H. Lazarus (employed at Cardiff School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK) for providing TSH medians from their study in the UK. Dr. J.P. Bestwick and Professor Dr. Lazarus have nothing to disclose.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Costs and effects of screening and treating low risk women with a singleton pregnancy for asymptomatic bacteriuria, the ASB study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) in pregnancy is 2-10% and is associated with both maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes as pyelonephritis and preterm delivery. Antibiotic treatment is reported to decrease these adverse outcomes although the existing evidence is of poor quality.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>We plan a combined screen and treat study in women with a singleton pregnancy. We will screen women between 16 and 22 weeks of gestation for ASB using the urine dipslide technique. The dipslide is considered positive when colony concentration ≥10⁵ colony forming units (CFU)/mL of a single microorganism or two different colonies but one ≥10⁵ CFU/mL is found, or when Group B Streptococcus bacteriuria is found in any colony concentration. Women with a positive dipslide will be randomly allocated to receive nitrofurantoin or placebo 100 mg twice a day for 5 consecutive days (double blind). Primary outcomes of this trial are maternal pyelonephritis and/or preterm delivery before 34 weeks. Secondary outcomes are neonatal and maternal morbidity, neonatal weight, time to delivery, preterm delivery rate before 32 and 37 weeks, days of admission in neonatal intensive care unit, maternal admission days and costs.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This trial will provide evidence for the benefit and cost-effectiveness of dipslide screening for ASB among low risk women at 16–22 weeks of pregnancy and subsequent nitrofurantoin treatment.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Dutch trial registry: NTR-3068</p

Association of Maternal Prepregnancy Body Mass Index With Placental Histopathological Characteristics in Uncomplicated Term Pregnancies

Introduction Prepregnancy obesity is a growing global health problem and has several risks for mother and child. The aim of this study was to systematically examine the effect of increased maternal body mass index (BMI) on placental pathology in otherwise uneventful term pregnancies. Methods In this analysis, we studied data of the Netherlands Amniotic Fluid study, a prospective study of women delivering in Utrecht, the Netherlands, between 2006 and 2007. We included women with uncomplicated pregnancies, vaginal delivery, and data on prepregnancy weight and height (n = 382). Placental histopathology was compared between women of normal BMI (≤24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25-29.9 kg/m2), and obese (≥30 kg/m2). Results Increasing prepregnancy BMI was associated with heavier placentas and higher mean infant's birth weight. In addition, obesity was positively associated with high-grade chronic villitis (odds ratio [OR]: 18.1, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6-205.2), accelerated villous maturation (OR: 1.1, 95% CI: 1.0-1.2), and lower incidence of placental weight below the 10th percentile for gestational age (OR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-1.0). There was a substantial effect of parity on maternal, placental, and neonatal weights. Conclusions Even in uncomplicated pregnancies, maternal obesity is associated with characteristic changes in placental pathology. Further research is needed to evaluate these changes in view of later-life health of infants born to obese mothers

Spontaneous Haemoperitoneum in Pregnancy: Nationwide Surveillance and Delphi Audit System

Objective: To evaluate the incidence, diagnostic management strategies and clinical outcomes of women with spontaneous haemoperitoneum in pregnancy (SHiP) and reassess the definition of SHiP. Design: A population-based cohort study using the Netherlands Obstetric Surveillance System (NethOSS). Setting: Nationwide, the Netherlands. Population: All pregnant women between April 2016 and April 2018. Methods: This is a case study of SHiP using the monthly registry reports of NethOSS. Complete anonymised case files were obtained. A newly introduced online Delphi audit system (DAS) was used to evaluate each case, to make recommendations on improving the management of SHiP and to propose a new definition of SHiP. Main outcome measures: Incidence and outcomes, lessons learned about clinical management and the critical appraisal of the current definition of SHiP. Results: In total, 24 cases were reported. After a Delphi procedure, 14 cases were classified as SHiP. The nationwide incidence was 4.9 per 100 000 births. Endometriosis and conceiving after artificial reproductive techniques were identified as risk factors. No maternal and three perinatal deaths occurred. Based on the DAS, adequate imaging of free intra-abdominal fluid, and identifying and treating women with signs of hypovolemic shock could improve the early detection and management of SHiP. A revised definition of SHiP was proposed, excluding the need for surgical or radiological intervention. Conclusions: SHiP is a rare and easily misdiagnosed condition that is associated with high perinatal mortality. To improve care, better awareness among healthcare workers is needed. The DAS is a sufficient tool to audit maternal morbidity and mortality

Early enteral tube feeding in optimizing treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum:the Maternal and Offspring outcomes after Treatment of HyperEmesis by Refeeding (MOTHER) randomized controlled trial

Background: Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) leads to dehydration, poor nutritional intake, and weight loss. HG has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight. Information about the potential effectiveness of treatments for HG is limited.Objective: We hypothesized that in women with HG, early enteral tube feeding in addition to standard care improves birth weight.Design: We performed a multicenter, open-label randomized controlled trial [Maternal and Offspring outcomes after Treatment of HyperEmesis by Refeeding (MOTHER)] in 19 hospitals in the Netherlands. A total of 116 women hospitalized for HG between 5 and 20 wk of gestation were randomly allocated to enteral tube feeding for ≥7 d in addition to standard care with intravenous rehydration and antiemetic treatment or to standard care alone. Women were encouraged to continue tube feeding at home. On the basis of our power calculation, a sample size of 120 women was anticipated. Analyses were performed according to the intention-to-treat principle.Results: Between October 2014 and March 2016 we randomly allocated 59 women to enteral tube feeding and 57 women to standard care. The mean ± SD birth weight was 3160 ± 770 g in the enteral tube feeding group compared with 3200 ± 680 g in the standard care group (mean difference: -40 g, 95% CI: -230, 310 g). Secondary outcomes, including maternal weight gain, duration of hospital stay, readmission rate, nausea and vomiting symptoms, decrease in quality of life, psychological distress, prematurity, and small-for-gestational-age, also were comparable. Of the women allocated to enteral tube feeding, 28 (47%) were treated according to protocol. Enteral tube feeding was discontinued within 7 d of placement in the remaining women, primarily because of its adverse effects (34%).Conclusions: In women with HG, early enteral tube feeding does not improve birth weight or secondary outcomes. Many women discontinued tube feeding because of discomfort, suggesting that it is poorly tolerated as an early routine treatment of HG. This trial was registered at www.trialregister.nl as NTR419

Early enteral tube feeding in optimizing treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum: The Maternal and Offspring outcomes after Treatment of HyperEmesis by Refeeding (MOTHER) randomized controlled trial

Background: Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) leads to dehydration, poor nutritional intake, and weight loss. HG has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight. Information about the potential effectiveness of treatments for HG is limited. Objective: We hypothesized that in women with HG, early enteral tube feeding in addition to standard care improves birth weight. Design: We performed a multicenter, open-label randomized controlled trial [Maternal and Offspring outcomes after Treatment of HyperEmesis by Refeeding (MOTHER)] in 19 hospitals in the Netherlands. A total of 116 women hospitalized for HG between 5 and 20 wk of gestation were randomly allocated to enteral tube feeding for ≥7 d in addition to standard care with intravenous rehydration and antiemetic treatment or to standard care alone. Women were encouraged to continue tube feeding at home. On the basis of our power calculation, a sample size of 120 women was anticipated. Analyses were performed according to the intention-to-treat principle. Results: Between October 2014 and March 2016 we randomly allocated 59 women to enteral tube feeding and 57 women to standard care. The mean ± SD birth weight was 3160 ± 770 g in the enteral tube feeding group compared with 3200 ± 680 g in the standard care group (mean difference: -40 g, 95% CI: -230, 310 g). Secondary outcomes, including maternal weight gain, duration of hospital stay, readmission rate, nausea and vomiting symptoms, decrease in quality of life, psychological distress, prematurity, and small-for-gestationalage, also were comparable. Of the women allocated to enteral tube feeding, 28 (47%) were treated according to protocol. Enteral tube feeding was discontinued within 7 d of placement in the remaining women, primarily because of its adverse effects (34%). Conclusions: In women with HG, early enteral tube feeding does not improve birth weight or secondary outcomes. Many women discontinued tube feeding because of discomfort, suggesting that it is poorly tolerated as an early routine treatment of HG

Thyroid-stimulating hormone and free thyroxine fail to predict the severity and clinical course of hyperemesis gravidarum: A prospective cohort study

Introduction: Little is known about the pathophysiology of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). Proposed underlying causes are multifactorial and thyroid function is hypothesized to be causally involved. In this study, we aimed to assess the utility of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) as a marker and predictor for the severity and clinical course of HG. Material and methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study including women admitted for HG between 5 and 20 weeks of gestation in 19 hospitals in the Netherlands. Women with a medical history of thyroid disease were excluded. TSH and FT4 were measured at study entry. To adjust for gestational age, we calculated TSH multiples of the median (MoM). We assessed HG severity at study entry as severity of nausea and vomiting (by the Pregnancy Unique Quantification of Emesis and nausea score), weight change compared with prepregnancy weight, and quality of life. We assessed the clinical course of HG as severity of nausea and vomiting and quality of life 1 week after inclusion, duration of hospital admissions, and readmissions. We performed multivariable regression analysis with absolute TSH, TSH MoMs, and FT4. Results: Between 2013 and 2016, 215 women participated in the cohort. TSH, TSH MoM, and FT4 were available for, respectively, 150, 126, and 106 of these women. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that lower TSH MoM was significantly associated with increased weight loss or lower weight gain at study entry (ΔKg; β = 2.00, 95% CI 0.47-3.53), whereas absolute TSH and FT4 were not. Lower TSH, not lower TSH MoM or FT4, was significantly associated with lower nausea and vomiting scores 1 week after inclusion (β = 1.74, 95% CI 0.36-3.11). TSH and FT4 showed no association with any of the other markers of the severity or clinical course of HG. Twenty-one out of 215 (9.8%) women had gestational transient thyrotoxicosis. Women with gestational transient thyrotoxicosis had a lower quality of life 1 week after inclusion than women with no gestational transient thyrotoxicosis (p = 0.03). Conclusions: Our findings show an inconsistent role for TSH, TSH MoM, or FT4 at time of admission and provide little guidance on the severity and clinical course of HG