Introduction: The management of women with cardiac disease may be a dilemma for the obstetricians, especially regarding the mode of delivery. The aim of this study was to present the clinical practice regarding the mode of delivery among women with cardiac disease in Northern Greece. Material and methods: This was a retrospective study which included pregnant woman with cardiac disease that was already known or diagnosed during pregnancy. Data were collected (2011-2023) from three university departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Thessaloniki, Greece. Demographics, mode of delivery and its indications were all thoroughly reported and analyzed. The indications were categorized as either obstetric or cardiac. Results: Out of a total sample of 63 pregnant women with heart disease, 36.5% underwent vaginal, while 63.5% cesarean delivery. Among those who delivered via cesarean, 55% had the cardiac disease as the indication, while 45% had an obstetric indication. Excluding women with obstetric indications for cesarean section, the remaining sample of 45 women resulted in a vaginal delivery rate of 51%, with 49% undergoing cesarean section. Moreover, focusing only on pregnant women who had cesarean sections due to cardiac disease, after excluding those with obstetric indications, 18% were in agreement with national and European guidelines, while 82% could have attempted vaginal delivery according to these recommendations. Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggest that there is a tendency towards cesarean delivery in women with cardiac disease, without being necessitated by the guidelines.
Background/Objectives: Maternal amino acid intake and its biological value may influence glucose regulation and insulin sensitivity, impacting the risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This study aimed to evaluate the association between amino acid intake from maternal diet before and during pregnancy and the risk of GDM. Methods: This study is part of the ongoing BORN2020 epidemiological Greek cohort. A validated semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used. Amino acid intakes were quantified from the FFQ responses. A multinomial logistic regression model, with adjustments made for maternal characteristics, lifestyle habits, and pregnancy-specific factors, was used. Results: A total of 797 pregnant women were recruited, of which 14.7% developed GDM. Higher cysteine intake during pregnancy was associated with an increase in GDM risk (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 5.75; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.42–23.46), corresponding to a 476% increase in risk. Additionally, higher intakes of aspartic acid (aOR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.05–1.66), isoleucine (aOR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.03–2.14), phenylalanine (aOR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.04–2.45), and threonine (aOR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.0–2.43) during pregnancy were also associated with increased GDM risk. Furthermore, total essential amino acid (EAA) (aOR: 1.04; 95% CI: 1.0–1.09) and non-essential amino acid (NEAA) (aOR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.0–1.1) intakes during pregnancy were also linked to an increased risk of GDM. A secondary dose–response analysis affected by timing of assessment revealed that higher intake levels of specific amino acids showed a more pronounced risk. Conclusions: Optimizing the balance of certain amino acids during pregnancy may guide personalized nutritional interventions to mitigate GDM risk.
Gestational hypertension and preeclampsia are leading causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Τhe lack of effective screening and management policies appears to be one of the main reasons.The aim of this study was to review and compare recommendations from published guidelines on these common pregnancy complications.A descriptive review of guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Society of Obstetric Medicine of Australia and New Zealand, the International Society of Hypertension, the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy, the European Society of Cardiology, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, the World Health Organization, and the US Preventive Services Task Force on gestational hypertension and preeclampsia was carried out.There is an overall agreement that, in case of suspected preeclampsia or new-onset hypertension, blood and urine tests should be carried out, including dipstick test for proteinuria, whereas placental growth factor-based testing is only recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the European Society of Cardiology. In addition, there is a consensus on the recommendations for the medical treatment of severe and nonsevere hypertension, the management of preeclampsia, the appropriate timing of delivery, the optimal method of anesthesia and the mode of delivery, the administration of antenatal corticosteroids and the use of magnesium sulfate for the treatment of eclamptic seizures, the prevention of eclampsia in cases of severe preeclampsia, and the neuroprotection of preterm neonates. The reviewed guidelines also state that, based on maternal risk factors, pregnant women identified to be at high risk for preeclampsia should receive low-dose aspirin starting ideally in the first trimester until labor or 36 to 37 weeks of gestation, although the recommended dose varies between 75 and 162 mg/d. Moreover, most guidelines recommend calcium supplementation for the prevention of preeclampsia and discourage the use of other agents. However, controversy exists regarding the definition and the optimal screening method for preeclampsia, the need for treating mild hypertension, the blood pressure treatment targets, and the postnatal blood pressure monitoring.The development and implementation of consistent international protocols will allow clinicians to adopt effective universal screening, as well as preventive and management strategies with the intention of improving maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Abstract A cervical length (CL) assessment may predict preterm birth (PTB). This study aimed to analyze and compare the recommendations of guidelines on the role of CL in the prediction of PTB. There is no consensus regarding universal screening of asymptomatic women without a history of prior spontaneous PTB (sPTB), using CL. On the other hand, CL assessment is recommended in cases with a history of sPTB due to the high recurrence rate. Finally, there is discrepancy regarding CL assessment in asymptomatic women with multiple pregnancy. Although far from perfect, CL measurement remains the best available method to predict PTB.
The usefulness of cervical length (CL) measurement in asymptomatic pregnancies in the third trimester of pregnancy is not certain. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the performance of CL measurement at 31-34 gestational weeks for the prediction of spontaneous late preterm birth (PTB).This was a prospective study of women with a singleton pregnancy, who had their routine third-trimester scan at 31-34 weeks. The CL was measured transvaginally and was tested, together with maternal demographic and obstetric parameters, for the prediction of late PTB (34 to 36 weeks), using logistic regression and ROC curve analysis.Overall, from a population of 1003 women that consented to participate in the study, 42 (4.2%) delivered at 34-36 gestational weeks. A significant association was identified between gestational age at birth and CL (rho = 0.182, p < .001), and there were significant differences in the CL between cases of late preterm and term births (p < .001). Cervical length alone could predict 17% of late PTB for a 10% false positive rate, corresponding to 22 mm. A model combining CL with parity and method of conception can identify 35% of pregnancies resulting in late PTB, at a false positive rate of 10% (AUC: 0.750; 95% CI: 0.675-0.824).CL assessment at 31-34 gestational weeks may contribute to the prediction of late PTB when combined with maternal characteristics.
To investigate whether early nuchal translucency measurement at 7+0 to 9+0 weeks (NT7-9w) is feasible, obtain normal values for different crown-rump lengths (CRL) in the above weeks and create percentile tables.A prospective study was conducted in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of the University Hospital of Ioannina, including data from women with singleton pregnancies, examined in the early pregnancy unit between November 2010 and May 2015 at a CRL of 10-27 mm. The early pregnancy scan was performed vaginally, and the NT7-9w, CRL, fetal heart rate, and mean yolk sac diameter were measured. Demographic data, including body mass index and smoking, were recorded.NT7-9w was measured successfully in 192 fetuses out of 210 (91.4 %), with a CRL ranging from 10-27 mm. The median maternal age was 31 (range 18-43) years, and the median CRL was 19.9 (range 10.0-27.0) mm. Considering the above measurements, we created normal values and percentiles tables of NT at 7+0 to 9+0 weeks in relation to the corresponding CRL measurement.According to the literature, this is the first attempt to measure NT in such weeks of pregnancy. NT measurement as early as 7+0 to 9+0 is feasible and normal values can be created and correlated with CRL measurements. HIPPOKRATIA 2021, 25 (4):151-155.
Introduction: There has been a notable worldwide rise in the percentage of women delivering via cesarean section. Although cesarean section is generally considered safe, there is a possibility of significant health risks and even mortality associated with it. The aim of this study was to collect pertinent data on the perspectives of healthcare providers, particularly obstetricians, who are involved in the field of labor and delivery in Greece, regarding the choice of Trial Of Labor After Cesarean (TOLAC). Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, conducted at the Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece; obstetricians were interviewed via certain questionnaires. Detailed analysis of the different characteristics regarding obstetricians’ background, workplace, preferences, willingness to take risks and safety concerns was conducted. These variables were compared and correlation between them was thoroughly investigated. Results: In total, 333 responses to the questionnaire were collected through Google online forms. Few obstetricians seem to enjoy taking risks, while most of them are neutral and willing to perform a planned TOLAC. It seems that as the experience of obstetricians increases, their tendency to recommend TOLAC on their own does not increase. The majority of obstetricians who had a failed TOLAC were more negative than those who had not had a failed attempt; whereas, they were willing to undertake TOLAC when the time required to transfer the women from the labor ward to the operating table was the minimum possible. Concerning the security as an important element in every aspect of obstetricians’ lives, the majority of them responded neutrally or positively. Following gender analysis, results showed that both male and female obstetricians were neutral or would avoid situations that have an uncertain outcome. Conclusion: Obstetricians and healthcare providers are willing to offer TOLAC as an option, provided that certain criteria are met and safety considerations are addressed. Finally, the acceptance and practice of TOLAC may vary between different regions, hospitals and individual healthcare providers.
Current obstetric practice is characterised by a continuous increase in caesarean section (CS) delivery rates.Main purpose of our study was to estimate the overall and annual rates of CS in a University Hospital in Greece.This was a retrospective chart review of all singleton pregnancies delivered by CS between 2004 and 2008 at a gestational age > 24 weeks. The overall and annual CS rates were calculated. The rate of elective (Group 1) and emergency CS (Group 2) , as well as the specific indications in the two groups of the study were also analyzed.Overall 5362 singleton pregnancies were delivered in the period of the study. The overall CS rate was 29.2% (n = 1564). The mean ±SD maternal age in years of the women delivered by CS was 29.65 ± 6.72 years, while it was 27.10 ±5.63 years for those who delivered vaginally (P<0.0001). The overall rates of elective and emergency CS were 18.2% and 11.0% respectively in the 5-year period of the study. The most common indication for an elective CS was a previous CS (63.1%), which remained almost stable during the period of the study. The main indication for emergency CS was foetal distress in the first three years of the study, while labour progress failure was the leading indication in the last two years.In this series, the overall CS rate was high. A previous caesarean delivery accounts for about one third of all cases and constitutes the leading indication for elective CS while foetal distress is the most common indication for an emergency caesarean section.
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