Select toxic metals status of pregnant women with history of pregnancy complications in Benin City, South-South Nigeria

Toxic metals are part of the most important groups of environmental pollutants that can bind to vital  cellular components and interfere with their functions via inhalation, foods, water etc. The serum levels  of toxic metals (lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic) in pregnant women with history of  pregnancy  complications, pregnant women without history of pregnancy complication and  non-pregnant women in Benin City, South – South Nigeria was investigated in this paper, with total of 135 healthy women comprising of 45 pregnant women with history of previous pregnancy  complications, 45 pregnant women without history of pregnancy complications and 45 non-pregnant women without history of pregnancy complications (controls). Some demographic characteristics and 4ml of blood samples were obtained from each subject for the analysis of lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic by standard methods. Pregnant women with history of pregnancy complications recorded a highly significant increase in the toxic metal (lead) mean value of 25.81μg/dl as against 23.70μg/dl for pregnant women without history of pregnancy complications and 11.23μg/dl for non-pregnant (control) women without history of pregnancy complications as well as significant increases in the mean values of other toxic metals (mercury, cadmium and arsenic) compared with controls (p<0.001). The selected toxic metals (Pb, Hg, Cd and As) may be involved in the development of pregnancy complications among pregnant women in Benin City, South– South Nigeria. Lead in  particular may pose threat to mothers and fetuses as its mean values in the two groups of pregnant women were well above normal. © JASEMKeywords: Toxic metals, pregnant women, History of pregnancy complications

Does knowledge of pregnancy complications influence health facility delivery? Analysis of 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey

Introduction Only thirty-seven percent (37%) of deliveries occur in health facilities in Bangladesh despite the enormous benefits of health facility delivery. We investigated women’s recall of receiving counseling on pregnancy complications and how it affects health facility delivery in Bangladesh. Materials and methods Data from the 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey was used for the study. After calculating the proportion of women who were informed about pregnancy complications during their last Antenatal Care (ANC) and the number of them who delivered in health facilities, Binary Logistic Regression was utilized in investigating chances of giving birth in health facilities among women who recalled they were told about pregnancy complications and those who were not told. The models were considered significant at 95%. Results A little above half of the women who were told about pregnancy complications during ANC delivered in health facilities (53.3%) and 43.6% of those who were not told delivered in health facilities. The findings revealed that women who were told about pregnancy complications during ANC were more likely to deliver at the health facility compared to those who were not told [COR = 1.56, CI = 1.31–1.87], and this persisted after controlling for the effect of covariates [AOR = 1.44, CI = 1.21–1.71]. Conclusion This study has stressed the importance of telling women about pregnancy complications during ANC by revealing that telling women about pregnancy complications during ANC is likely to result in health facility delivery. Health workers should intensify health education on pregnancy complications during ANC and motivate women to deliver in health facilities

Does knowledge of pregnancy complications influence health facility delivery? Analysis of 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey.

INTRODUCTION:Only thirty-seven percent (37%) of deliveries occur in health facilities in Bangladesh despite the enormous benefits of health facility delivery. We investigated women's recall of receiving counseling on pregnancy complications and how it affects health facility delivery in Bangladesh. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Data from the 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey was used for the study. After calculating the proportion of women who were informed about pregnancy complications during their last Antenatal Care (ANC) and the number of them who delivered in health facilities, Binary Logistic Regression was utilized in investigating chances of giving birth in health facilities among women who recalled they were told about pregnancy complications and those who were not told. The models were considered significant at 95%. RESULTS:A little above half of the women who were told about pregnancy complications during ANC delivered in health facilities (53.3%) and 43.6% of those who were not told delivered in health facilities. The findings revealed that women who were told about pregnancy complications during ANC were more likely to deliver at the health facility compared to those who were not told [COR = 1.56, CI = 1.31-1.87], and this persisted after controlling for the effect of covariates [AOR = 1.44, CI = 1.21-1.71]. CONCLUSION:This study has stressed the importance of telling women about pregnancy complications during ANC by revealing that telling women about pregnancy complications during ANC is likely to result in health facility delivery. Health workers should intensify health education on pregnancy complications during ANC and motivate women to deliver in health facilities

Maternal Quality of Life, Lifestyle, and Interventions after Complicated Pregnancies

Although most pregnancies elapse uneventful, complications arise in a substantial number. This thesis will focus on preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction and gestational diabetes, because women who experience these pregnancy complications share an increased cardiovascular and metabolic risk. See Box 1 for the definitions of these pregnancy complications used in this thesis

Pregnancy complications and maternal cardiovascular risk: opportunities for intervention and screening?

The link between defective nutrition of the fetus and vascular disease in later life is now well established. Naveed Sattar and Ian Greer report on the intriguing probability that complications in pregnancy also predispose mothers to later vascular and metabolic disease

Does anticoagulant therapy improve adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with history of recurrent pregnancy loss?

Objectives: Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a serious problem in the reproductive age women. We aimed to study the role of anticoagulant therapy on pregnancy complications and perinatal outcomes in pregnant patients with histories of RPL. Material and methods: One hundred fifty-three pregnants, with RPL history and thrombophilia positivity, were grouped into two as 89 treated with anticoagulant therapy and 64 non-treated. Treated and untreated groups were compared for pregnancy complications, delivery weeks, abortion rates, fetal birth weights, APGAR scores, live birth rates, and newborn intensive care admission rates. Results: Of the total 153 pregnant patients (63%) 97 developed pregnancy complications; 55 (56.7%) were in the untreated group and 42 (43.3%) were in the treated group, which was statistically significant (p = 0.003). The differences in pregnancy complications were produced by differences in the numbers of IUFDs and anembryonic fetuses among the groups. The average neonatal birth weights of infants whose mothers had taken LMWH + ASA were significantly higher (p=0.011). The prematurely delivered infants were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and the NICU requirements were not statistically different between the groups (p = 0.446). However, live birth rates were significantly higher in the treated group than in the untreated group (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Anticoagulant therapy improves pregnancy complications and live birth rates in patients with RPL and hereditary thrombophilia

Inter-pregnancy weight change impacts placental weight and is associated with the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in the second pregnancy

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

How the COVID-19 Pandemic Highlights the Effects of Genetic Conflict During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is often viewed as a cooperative endeavor between mother and fetus. However, biologists have documented that under the surface, pregnancy is better characterized as a time where genetic conflict between maternal and paternal genes over fetal development can run rampant. While genetic conflict is a typical aspect of pregnancy, uncontrolled genetic conflict has the potential to result in pregnancy complications for both the mother (e.g., miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth) and the fetus (e.g., intrauterine growth restrictions, low birth weight). But, unexpectedly, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented researcher with a case study to investigate genetic conflict during pregnancy. Specifically, medical doctors noted changes in the frequency of pregnancy complications (e.g., premature births, miscarriages, stillbirths) theorized to be influence by genetic conflict. As the biology of these complications did not change during the pandemic, we wanted to investigate potential behavioral changes that influenced the expression of genetic conflict in pregnancy complications using archival data. Understanding these relationships can elucidate how cultural and behavioral changes influence biological processes such as the occurrence of pregnancy complications

Distribution of Pregnancy Complications by Gestational Age at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, Southwestern Uganda

Background: During pregnancy; both the woman and her developing foetus face various health risks. Pregnancy complications can range from mild discomfort, to severe, sometimes life threatening illnesses. Our objective was to determine the pregnancy complications and the associated gestation ages at Mbarara regional referral hospital. Methods: It was a cross sectional study. The Primary outcome was any pregnancy complications. The sample size was 1016. Pearson Chi-square was used to determine association between categorical variables.  Odds ratio was used to determine statistical significance. Results: The complications included abortion 6.2%, preterm labour 6.0%, and preeclampsia, premature rupture labour, preterm premature rupture of membranes, urinary tract infections 2.4%, malaria, intrauterine feotal death 1.5%, antepartum haemorrhage 1.5% and anaemia. The complications started rising from 29 weeks to 36 weeks and started declining thereafter but rose again after 42 weeks. Majority of complications occurred between 29 and 36 weeks. At bivariate analysis the following were found to be significantly associated with complications in pregnancy, age 35 years and above (OR 2.247(1.376-3.670), 95% CI), being single was negatively associated with absence of pregnancy complications(OR 0.435(0.219-0.863,95% CI), a gestational age bracket of 29-36 was negatively associated with absence of pregnancy complications (OR 0.169(0.123-0.233,95% CI), Conclusion: Though pregnancy complications can occur at any gestational age, there are three peaks at which complications are most common, early pregnancy between 5-16 weeks, 29–36 weeks and after 44weeks of gestation. Pregnancy complication drastically dropped towards term i.e. from 37-42 weeks and an increasing trend thereafter. A maternal age of 35 years and above, being single and a gestational age bracket of 29-36 are associated with pregnancy complications. Recommendations: Pregnant women who are 35 years and above and those who are single need to be monitored as high risk pregnancies. Investigations should be carried out for all women between 29-36 weeks when they come for antenatal care to rule out the potential risks. Pregnancies beyond 42 weeks should be induced. First antenatal care attendance should be as early as five weeks and efforts should be made to encourage preconception care in our setting since complications of pregnancy are high in the first few weeks of gestation