Articles

Pregnant women’s clinical characteristics, intrapartum interventions, and duration of labour in urban China: a multi-center cross-sectional study

There is an increasing global trend towards the widespread over-medicalisation of labour and childbirth. The present study aimed to investigate pregnant women’s clinical characteristics, intrapartum interventi...

Authors: Chunyi Gu, Xiaojiao Wang, Zhijie Zhang, Simone Schwank, Chunxiang Zhu, Zheng Zhang and Xu Qian

Prevalence, associated factors and clinical features of congenital syphilis among newborns in Mbarara hospital, Uganda

While congenital syphilis is a significant public health problem that can cause severe disabilities, little is known about the situation in Uganda. We describe prevalence, associated factors and clinical prese...

Authors: Sam Oloya, David Lyczkowski, Patrick Orikiriza, Max Irama, Yap Boum, Richard Migisha, Julius P. Kiwanuka and Juliet Mwanga-Amumpaire

Retrospective study 2005–2015 of all cases of fetal death occurred at ≥23 gestational weeks, in Friusli Venezia Giulia, Italy

Intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) is a tragic event and, despite efforts to reduce rates, its incidence remains difficult to reduce. The objective of the present study was to examine the etiological factors that...

Authors: Lorenzo Monasta, Manuela Giangreco, Emanuele Ancona, Fabio Barbone, Elisa Bet, Pierino Boschian-Bailo, Giovanna Cacciaguerra, Angelo Cagnacci, Melania Canton, Maddalena Casarotto, Manola Comar, Simona Contardo, Michela De Agostini, Francesco De Seta, Giovanni Del Ben, Carla Di Loreto…

Applying the WHO ICD-PM classification system to stillbirths in a major referral Centre in Northeast Nigeria: a retrospective analysis from 2010-2018

Lack of a unified and comparable classification system to unravel the underlying causes of stillbirth hampers the development and implementation of targeted interventions to reduce the unacceptably high stillb...

Authors: Eseoghene Dase, Oghenebrume Wariri, Egwu Onuwabuchi, Jacob A. K. Alhassan, Iliya Jalo, Nazeem Muhajarine, Uduak Okomo and Aliyu U. ElNafaty

Inpatient versus outpatient induction of labour: a systematic review and meta-analysis

As the number of indications for labour induction continue to increase, the focus has shifted to performing these procedures in an outpatient setting. This study aims to systematically review published data fr...

Authors: Susan Dong, Maria Khan, Farahnosh Hashimi, Caroline Chamy and Rohan D’Souza

Women’s experiences of planning a vaginal birth after caesarean in different models of maternity care in Australia

Vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) is a safe mode of birth for most women but internationally VBAC rates remain low. In Australia women planning a VBAC may experience different models of care including conti...

Authors: Hazel Keedle, Lilian Peters, Virginia Schmied, Elaine Burns, Warren Keedle and Hannah Grace Dahlen

Absence of lymphatic vessels in term placenta

There has been debate about the existence of lymphatic vessels in placenta. Lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) markers such as LYVE-1 and podoplanin/D2–40 have been found, although PROX1 has not been detected. T...

Authors: Jürgen Becker, Gilles E. Tchagou Tchangou, Sonja Schmidt, Christina Zelent, Fritz Kahl and Jörg Wilting

Associations of malaria, HIV, and coinfection, with anemia in pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa: a population-based cross-sectional study

Malaria and HIV are common infections in Africa and cause substantial morbidity and mortality in pregnant women. We aimed to assess the association of malaria with anemia in pregnant women and to explore the j...

Authors: Paddy Ssentongo, Djibril M. Ba, Anna E. Ssentongo, Jessica E. Ericson, Ming Wang, Duanping Liao and Vernon M. Chinchilli

Assessment of the necessity of uterine artery embolization during suction and curettage for caesarean scar pregnancy: a prospective cohort study

Uterine artery embolization (UAE) followed by suction and curettage is a common conservative treatment for caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP), but the advantages of suction and curettage alone are underestimated d...

Authors: Jie Ou, Ping Peng, Chunying Li, Lirong Teng and Xinyan Liu

A mixed-methods investigation of women’s experiences seeking pregnancy-related online nutrition information

The objective of this study was to describe women’s processes for finding pregnancy-related nutrition information, their experiences seeking this information online and their ideas for improving internet sourc...

Authors: Alexandra Snyder, Hannah Tait Neufeld and Laura Forbes

A protocol for developing, disseminating, and implementing a core outcome set (COS) for childbirth pelvic floor trauma research

More than 85% of women sustain different degrees of trauma during vaginal birth. Randomized controlled trials on childbirth pelvic floor trauma have reported a wide range of outcomes and used different outcome...

Authors: Stergios K. Doumouchtsis, Maria Patricia Rada, Vasilios Pergialiotis, Gabriele Falconi, Jorge Milhem Haddad and Cornelia Betschart

Diagnostic accuracy of maternal serum multiple marker screening for early detection of gestational diabetes mellitus in the absence of a gold standard test

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with adverse diabetic complications for both mother and child during pregnancy. The common Gold Standard (GS) for diagnosis of GDM is 75 g oral glucose toleran...

Authors: Maedeh Amini, Anoshirvan Kazemnejad, Farid Zayeri, Ali Montazeri, Aliakbar Rasekhi, Azam Amirian and Nourossadat Kariman

The Rajarata Pregnancy Cohort (RaPCo): study protocol

Ending preventable maternal deaths remains a global priority and in the later stages of obstetric transition, identifying the social determinants of maternal health outcomes is essential to address stagnating ...

Authors: Thilini Chanchala Agampodi, Nuwan Darshana Wickramasinghe, Rampathige Indika Ruwan Prasanna, Malawara Kankanamalage Lasandha Irangani, Jayasundara Mudiyanselage Samarakoon Banda, Pradana Mudiyanselage Bandula Jayathilake, Ayesh Hettiarachchi, Gayani Amarasinghe, Imasha Jayasinghe, Iresha Koralagedara, Sajaan Praveena Gunarathne, Sujanthi Wickramage, Janith Warnasekara, Niroshan Lokunarangoda, Vasana Mendis, Ajith Kumara Dissanayaka…

Repeated triplets complicated by monochorionic diamniotic twins following assisted reproduction: a case report and literature review

Monochorionic twinning involves numerous maternal and fetal complications, triplets complicated by a monochorionic pair are at further increased risk. Here, we report a case of repeated triplets complicated by...

Authors: Bing Song, Zhe Wang, Yujie Chen, Chao Wang, Zhaolian Wei, Xiaojin He and Yunxia Cao

Real-world in-hospital outcomes and potential predictors of heart failure in primigravid women with heart disease in Southwestern China

Little is known about the status of maternal, obstetric, and neonatal complications and the potential predictors of developing heart failure (HF) in mothers with underlying heart disease (HD) in Southwestern C...

Authors: Wuwan Wang, Lu Wang, Panpan Feng, Xiyao Liu, Rui Xiang, Li Wen and Wei Huang

Stakeholder perspectives on antenatal depression and the potential for psychological intervention in rural Ethiopia: a qualitative study

Psychological interventions for antenatal depression are an integral part of evidence-based care but need to be contextualised for respective sociocultural settings. In this study, we aimed to understand women...

Authors: Tesera Bitew, Roxanne Keynejad, Simone Honikman, Katherine Sorsdahl, Bronwyn Myers, Abebaw Fekadu and Charlotte Hanlon

Iodine adequacy in reproductive age and pregnant women living in the Western region of Saudi Arabia

Despite the serious maternal and foetal complications associated with iodine deficiency during pregnancy, surveys related to pregnant women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) are lacking. This study, therefo...

Authors: Firas Azzeh and Bassem Refaat

Unlocking community capabilities for addressing social norms/practices: behavioural change intervention study to improve birth preparedness and complication readiness among pregnant women in rural Nigeria

Maternal mortality is attributed to combination of contextual factors that cause delay in seeking care, leading to poor utilization of skilled health services. Community participation is one of the acknowledge...

Authors: Irene Ifeyinwa Eze, Chinyere Ojiugo Mbachu, Edmund Ndudi Ossai, Celestina Adaeze Nweze and Chigozie Jesse Uneke

Making therapies culturally relevant: translation, cultural adaptation and field-testing of the Thinking Healthy Programme for perinatal depression in China

The prevalence of perinatal depression in China ranges from 15 to 20% and the vast majority of prenatally depressed women do not receive the intervention they require. Recent research evidence shows that evide...

Authors: Anum Nisar, Juan Yin, Nan Yiping, Huo Lanting, Jingjun Zhang, Duolao Wang, Atif Rahman and Xiaomei Li

Supporting women who develop poor postnatal mental health: what support do fathers receive to support their partner and their own mental health?

Research regarding support provided for poor maternal postnatal mental health (such as depression, anxiety disorders, and postpartum psychosis) is relatively common. Fathers appear to play an important role su...

Authors: Andrew Mayers, Sarah Hambidge, Olivia Bryant and Emily Arden-Close

Factors obstetricians, family physicians and midwives consider when counselling women about a trial of labour after caesarean and planned repeat caesarean: a qualitative descriptive study

Repeat caesarean sections (CSs) are major contributors to the high rate of CS in Canada and globally. Women’s decisions to have a planned repeat CS (PRCS) or a trial of labour after CS (TOLAC) are influenced b...

Authors: Christine Kurtz Landy, Wendy Sword, Jackie Cramp Kathnelson, Sarah McDonald, Anne Biringer, Maureen Heaman and Pam Angle

Supporting perinatal anxiety in the digital age; a qualitative exploration of stressors and support strategies

The period surrounding childbirth is one of profound change, which can often be experienced as stressful and overwhelming. Indeed, around 20% of women may experience significant levels of anxiety in the perina...

Authors: Virginia Harrison, Donna Moore and Lisa Lazard

Detailed registration of care in midwifery practices in the Netherlands: an opportunity for research within a healthy pregnant population

Research in maternity care is often conducted in mixed low and high-risk or solely high-risk populations. This limits generalizability to the low-risk population of pregnant women receiving care from Dutch mid...

Authors: A. Pouwels, P. Offerhaus, A. Merkx, B. Zeegers and M. J. Nieuwenhuijze

Congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) with placental abruption despite maternal improvement: a case report

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare but serious complication in pregnancy that places the mother and fetus at high risk for morbidity and mortality. This case illustrates novel pregnancy compli...

Authors: Marti D. Soffer, Pavan K. Bendapudi, Drucilla J. Roberts, P. Kaitlyn Edelson, David J. Kuter, Jeffrey L. Ecker, Allison Bryant and Ilona T. Goldfarb

Institutional delivery service utilization and associated factors in Ethiopia: a systematic review and META-analysis

There is wide variation in the utilization of institutional delivery service in Ethiopia. Various socioeconomic and cultural factors affect the decision where to give birth. Although there has been a growing i...

Authors: Adane Nigusie, Telake Azale and Mezgebu Yitayal

Monitoring intrapartum fetal heart rates by mothers in labour in two public hospitals: an initiative to improve maternal and neonatal healthcare in Liberia

In low-resource settings with few health workers, Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) monitoring in labour can be inconsistent and unreliable. An initiative to improve fetal monitoring was implemented in two public hospita...

Authors: K. Borzie, N. Jasper, D. P. Southall, R. MacDonald, A. A. Kola, O. Dolo, A. Magnus, S. D. Watson, M. Casement, B. Dahn and W. Jallah

Metrics of perineal support (MOPS) study

Manual perineal protection (MPP) is an intrapartum intervention suggested to protect perineal integrity during childbirth. Proper execution of MPP is complex and evaluation of its true contribution is difficul...

Authors: Vladimir Kalis, Zdenek Rusavy, Linda Havelkova, Tomas Zitka, David Tolar and Khaled M. Ismail

Do male engagement and couples’ communication influence maternal health care-seeking? Findings from a household survey in Mozambique

This study explored effects of couples’ communication and male participation in birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) on delivery in a health facility (“institutional delivery”). A cross-section...

Authors: Gilda G. Sitefane, Joya Banerjee, Diwakar Mohan, Connie S. Lee, Jim Ricca, Myra L. Betron and Rosa Marlene Manjate Cuco

Bilateral anophthalmia and intrahepatic biliary atresia, two unusual components of Fraser syndrome: a case report

Fraser syndrome or “cryptophthalmos syndrome” is a rare autosomal recessive disease. It is characterized by a group of congenital malformations such as: crytophthalmos, syndactyly, abnormal genitalia, and malf...

Authors: Muhamad Zakaria Brimo Alsaman, Sarab Agha, Hala Sallah, Rayan Badawi, Mohammad Nour Kitaz, Abdullah Assani and Hamdi Nawfal

Jordanian women’s experiences and constructions of labour and birth in different settings, over time and across generations: a qualitative study

Overwhelmingly, women in Middle Eastern countries experience birth as dehumanising and disrespectful. Women’s stories can be a very powerful way of informing health services about the impact of the care they r...

Authors: Suha Abed Almajeed Abdallah Hussein, Hannah G. Dahlen, Olayide Ogunsiji and Virginia Schmied

Drowning our sorrows: clinical and ethical considerations of termination in alcohol-affected pregnancy

Authors: Roger Martin, George Bruxner, Gary Ng, Catherine Brewster and Alka Kothari

Factors affecting the utilization of antenatal care among married women of reproductive age in the rural Thatta, Pakistan: findings from a community-based case-control study

There are differences in antenatal care (ANC) utilization between urban and rural areas of Pakistan. Although multiple factors have been studied affecting the utilization of general health care services, the e...

Authors: Sumera Aziz Ali, Savera Aziz Ali, Anam Feroz, Sarah Saleem, Zafar Fatmai and Muhammad Masood Kadir

Women’s experiences of decision-making and informed choice about pregnancy and birth care: a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative research

The purpose of this systematic review (PROSPERO Ref: CRD42017053264) was to describe and interpret the qualitative research on parent’s decision-making and informed choice about their pregnancy and birth care....

Authors: Cassandra Yuill, Christine McCourt, Helen Cheyne and Nathalie Leister

Incidence and determinants of neonatal near miss in south Ethiopia: a prospective cohort study

For every neonate who dies, many others experience a near miss event that could have but did not result in death. Neonatal near miss is three to eight times more frequent than neonatal deaths and, therefore, i...

Authors: Tesfalidet Tekelab, Catherine Chojenta, Roger Smith and Deborah Loxton

Enhancing patient mobility following cesarean-delivery – the efficacy of an improved postpartum protocol assessed with pedometers

The incidence of thromboembolic complications is highest in the immediate postpartum period, especially following caesarean delivery (CD). Ambulation following CD is important in their prevention. We examined ...

Authors: Hadas Ganer Herman, Masha Ben Zvi, Daniel Tairy, Ilia Kleiner, Noa Gonen, Limor Kuper Sason, Jacob Bar and Michal Kovo

Development and analytical validation of real-time PCR for the detection of Streptococcus agalactiae in pregnant women

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of invasive neonatal infection. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the analytical validation of qualitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) as a means ...

Authors: Daniel F. Escobar, Diego A. Diaz-Dinamarca, Carlos F. Hernández, Daniel A. Soto, Ricardo A. Manzo, Pedro I. Alarcón, Camila H. Pinto, Diego N. Bastias, Carolayn N. Oberg-Bravo, Robert Rojas, Sebastián E. Illanes, Alexis M. Kalergis and Abel E. Vasquez

The effect of early administration of rectal progesterone in IVF/ICSI twin pregnancies on the preterm birth rate: a randomized trial

The rate of multiple pregnancies in IVF/ICSI ranges from 20 to 30%. The incidence of preterm birth in multiple pregnancies is as high as 60% and is even higher in pregnancies conceived after IVF & ICSI. The ef...

Authors: Mona Mohamed Aboulghar, Yahia El-Faissal, Ahmed Kamel, Ragaa Mansour, Gamal Serour, Mohamed Aboulghar and Yomna Islam

Perceived strategies to reduce traumatic childbirth amongst Iranian childbearing women: a qualitative study

Psychological birth trauma (PBT), mainly due to overlooking maternal mental health, is a common and high prevalence public health problem in low-resource settings. Preventing PBT is a good indicator of the rea...

Authors: Mahshid Taheri, Ziba Taghizadeh, Nahid Jafari and Amirhossein Takian

The application of prophylactic balloon occlusion of the internal iliac artery for the treatment of placenta accreta spectrum with placenta previa: a retrospective case-control study

Severe obstetric haemorrhage caused by placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) results in significant maternal morbidity and mortality. The effectiveness of prophylactic balloon occlusion of the internal iliac artery ...

Authors: Ying Peng, Lai Jiang, Cheng Peng, Dabao Wu and Ling Chen

Does sex matter? Association of fetal sex and parental age with pregnancy outcomes in Taiwan: a cohort study

Worldwide several studies have examined the associations of fetal sex, paternal age and maternal age with pregnancy outcomes, with the evidence regarding paternal age being less consistent. Although in Taiwan ...

Authors: Tsung Yu, Ta-Sheng Chen, Fu-Wen Liang and Pao-Lin Kuo

Effectiveness of fetal scalp stimulation test in assessing fetal wellbeing during labor, a retrospective cohort study

It is discussed whether fetal scalp stimulation (FSS) test is a reliable complimentary tool to cardiotocography (CTG) to assess fetal wellbeing during labor. The test is based on the assumption that a well-oxy...

Authors: Farzaneh Shakouri, Linda Iorizzo, Hellen Mc Kinnon Edwards, Christina Anne Vinter, Karl Kristensen, Per-Erik Isberg and Nana Wiberg

Normal fertilisation rates and serum 25-OHD levels among couples undergoing in-vitro fertilisation: a prospective cohort study

The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between serum vitamin D levels in couples undergoing in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and normal fertilisation process.

Authors: Liu Jiang, Juan Yang, Jianyuan Song, Yajun Hu and Kun Qian

Maternal genitourinary infections and poor nutritional status increase risk of preterm birth in Gasabo District, Rwanda: a prospective, longitudinal, cohort study

Preterm birth (PTB) is a leading cause of early childhood mortality and morbidity, including long-term physical and mental impairment. The risk factors for PTB are complex and include maternal nutritional stat...

Authors: Etienne Nsereko, Aline Uwase, Assumpta Mukabutera, Claude Mambo Muvunyi, Stephen Rulisa, David Ntirushwa, Patricia Moreland, Elizabeth J. Corwin, Nicole Santos, Manasse Nzayirambaho and Janet M. Wojcicki

Fetal goiter identified in a pregnant woman with triiodothyronine-predominant graves’ disease: a case report

Approximately 10% of all Graves’ disease cases are triiodothyronine (T3)-predominant. T3-predominance is characterized by higher T3 levels than thyroxine (T4) levels. Thyroid stimulating hormone receptor autoa...

Authors: Akiko Fujishima, Akira Sato, Hiroshi Miura, Yuki Shimoda, Saeko Kameyama, Chika Ariake, Hiroyuki Adachi, Yuki Fukuoka and Yukihiro Terada

Spatio-temporal distribution and associated factors of home delivery in Ethiopia. Further multilevel and spatial analysis of Ethiopian demographic and health surveys 2005–2016

Globally, between 2012 and 2017, 80% of live births occurred at health facilities assisted by skilled health personnel. In Ethiopia, in 2016 only 26% of live births attended by skilled health personal. This st...

Authors: Zemenu Tadesse Tessema and Sofonyas Abebaw Tiruneh

Low birthweight in term singletons mediates the association between maternal smoking intensity exposure status and immediate neonatal intensive care unit admission: the E-value assessment

Research investigating the wellbeing of term neonates in the United States is scarce. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of low birthweight (LBW) and neonatal intensive care unit (NIC...

Authors: Anthony J. Kondracki

Correlates of pregnancy among Female Sex Workers (FSWs) in semi urban Blantyre, Malawi

Little is known about female sex workers’ (FSWs) reproductive health apart from their being at higher than usual risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. The aim of this study was therefo...

Authors: Donatien Twizelimana and Adamson S. Muula

Severe pre-eclamptic women with headache: is posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome an associated concurrent finding?

A high incidence of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) has been observed in women with eclampsia on imaging. However this association was documented mostly after convulsions occurred. This stu...

Authors: An-Shine Chao, Yao-Liang Chen, Yao-Lung Chang, Angel Chao, Seng-Yuan Su and Tzu-Hao Wang

The impact of cesarean section on neonatal outcomes at a university-based tertiary hospital in Jordan

Over the past two decades, there has been a steady rise in the rate of Cesarean section delivery globally. As a result, short-term and long-term maternal and neonatal complications are rising. The objective of...

Authors: Wasim Khasawneh, Nail Obeidat, Dawood Yusef and Jomana W. Alsulaiman

Utilization and factors associated with antenatal, delivery and postnatal Care Services in Tigray Region, Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study

This study aimed to identify the utilization and factors associated with antenatal care, delivery, and postnatal care services in Tigray regional state, Ethiopia.

Authors: Mussie Alemayehu, Tesfay Gebregzabher Gebrehiwot, Araya Abrha Medhanyie, Alem Desta, Tesfu Alemu, Atakelti Abrha and Hagos Godefy