Twin pregnancy complicated by total placenta previa in a Fontan-palliated patient: A case report

Risk factors of emergency cesarean section in pregnant women with severe placenta accreta spectrum: a retrospective cohort study

Introduction

Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) may cause enormous and potentially life-threatening hemorrhage in the intrapartum and postpartum periods in emergency cesarean section. How to reduce the occurrence of emergency cesarean section in patients with severe PAS is the key to reducing the adverse outcomes of them. This study aimed to investigate the impact of emergency cesarean section on the perioperative outcomes of pregnant women with PAS and neonates, and also aimed to explore the risk factors of emergency cesarean section in pregnant women with PAS.

Materials and methods

A retrospective investigation was conducted among 163 pregnant women with severe PAS. Of these, 72 were subjected to emergency cesarean sections. Data on the perioperative characteristics of the mothers and neonates were collected. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to detect associations between maternal and perioperative characteristics and volume of intraoperative bleeding. Binary logical regression was used to analyze the association between maternal preoperative characteristics and emergency cesarean section. Linear regression analysis is used to analyze the relationship between gestational age and emergency cesarean section.

Results

The risks of emergency cesarean section increase 98, 112, 124, and 62% when the pregnant women with PAS accompanied by GHD, ICP, more prior cesarean deliveries and more severe PAS type, respectively. Noteworthy, the risk of emergency cesarean section decreases 5% when pre-pregnancy BMI increases 1 kg/m² (OR: 0.95; CI: 0.82, 0.98; p = 0.038). Moreover, there is no significant linear correlation between emergency cesarean section and gestational age.

Conclusion

GHD, ICP, multiple prior cesarean deliveries and severe PAS type may all increase the risk of emergency cesarean section for pregnant women with PAS, while high pre-pregnancy BMI may be a protective factor due to less activity level. For pregnant women with severe PAS accompanied by these high risk factors, more adequate maternal and fetal monitoring should be carried out in the third trimester to reduce the risk of emergency cesarean section.

Transition in cardiology 2: Maternal and fetal congenital heart disease

The number of women with congenital heart disease (CHD) reaching reproductive age has been increasing. Many women with CHDs are desirous of pregnancy, but they face issues regarding preconception, antepartum, and postpartum management. On the other hand, the fetal diagnosis of CHD has improved with advances in the technique and equipment for fetal echocardiography. Recently, experiences with fetal intervention have been reported in patients with severe CHD, such as critical aortic stenosis. Nevertheless, some types of CHD are challenge to diagnose prenatally, resulting in adverse outcomes. Medical care is part of the transitional care for women and fetuses with CHD during the perinatal period. Pre-conceptional and prenatal counseling play an important role in transitional care. Sex and reproductive education need to be performed as early as possible. We herein review the current status, important issues to be resolved, and the future of maternal and fetal CHD to relevant caregivers.

Maternal Fontan procedure is a predictor of a small-for-gestational-age neonate: a 10-year retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Women with single ventricle cardiac physiologic condition who have undergone Fontan procedures are surviving well into reproductive age and historically have been discouraged from pregnancy, despite the paucity of data regarding maternal and neonatal outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

Our primary objective was to investigate, in a large cohort, the maternal and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women who have undergone the Fontan procedure and to understand maternal and neonatal sequelae of their pregnancies.

STUDY DESIGN

This single-center retrospective cohort study involves pregnant women with a Fontan palliation who delivered at UCLA Medical Center over a 10-year period (2007-2017). All pregnancies were evaluated for differences in maternal and neonatal characteristics.

RESULTS

We identified 37 distinct pregnancies in 24 women with a Fontan procedure. The physiologic pregnancy-related increase in cardiac output is blunted substantially in Fontan circulation. Third-trimester cardiac index positively correlated to birthweight z-score (R²=0.48; P=.038) but not to small for gestational age (R²=0.13; P=.339). The most common cardiac complications in pregnancies of >24 weeks gestation were sustained arrhythmia (37.5%) and decompensated heart failure (21%). The 37 pregnancies comprised 25 live births (67.6%), 1 fetal death (2.7%), 9 spontaneous abortions (24%), and 2 pregnancy terminations (5.4%). Of the live births, 60% were preterm at an average gestational age of 34.9±3.7 weeks. Newborn infants were delivered via cesarean in 53%, operative vaginal delivery in 28%, and spontaneous vaginal delivery in 20%. Forty percent of neonates were born small (<10th percentile) for gestational age; 44.0% of all neonates were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit.

CONCLUSION

Women with a single ventricle and Fontan circulation can have a successful pregnancy, although they are at increased risk for arrhythmias and heart failure. The decreased cardiac reserve in these pregnancies blunts the normal increase in maternal cardiac output, which is associated with preterm delivery and small-for-gestational-age neonates. Further studies are needed to determine to what extent the impaired rise in maternal cardiac output reduces uteroplacental perfusion, placental exchange, fetal growth, and onset of parturition.