Ultrasound screening of umbilical cord abnormalities and delivery management

Metabolomic profiles of preterm small-for-gestational age infants

We aimed to characterize the metabolomic profiles in preterm small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants using cord blood. We conducted a gestational age (GA)-matched case-control study that included 30 preterm infants who were categorized into two groups: SGA infants, with a birth weight (BW) < 10th percentile for GA (n = 15) and non-SGA infants, with BW ≥ 10th percentile for GA (n = 15). SGA infants with chromosomal or genetic abnormalities were excluded. At birth, the umbilicus was double-clamped, and the cord blood was sampled from the umbilical vein. Metabolomic analyses were performed using capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The median GA at birth was not significantly different between the two groups [SGA, 32 (26-36) weeks; non-SGA, 32 (25-35) weeks; p = 0.661)]. Of the 255 metabolites analyzed, 19 (7.5%) showed significant differences between SGA and non-SGA infants. There were significant reductions in the carnosine, hypotaurine, and S-methylcysteine levels in SGA infants as compared to non-SGA infants (p < 0.05). Carnosine was correlated with gestational age, BMI before pregnancy, body weight gain during pregnancy (p = 0.002, p = 0.023, and p = 0.020, respectively). In conclusion, preterm SGA infants have low levels of cord blood antioxidative- and antiglycation-related metabolites, making them vulnerable to oxidative stress.

Ultrasound Doppler Findings in Fetal Vascular Malperfusion Due to Umbilical Cord Abnormalities: A Pilot Case Predictive for Cerebral Palsy

Fetal Vascular Malperfusion (FVM), a pathologic condition in the feto-placental circulation, is a chronic vaso-occlusive disorder in the umbilical venous blood flow. Microthrombi are caused by the umbilical cord's blood flow deficiency in a congested umbilical vein, which also causes microvascular damage to fetal organs, especially the brain, resulting in cerebral palsy. Thrombo-occlusive events also adversely affect the upstream chorionic or stem vessels in the placenta, resulting in fetal growth restriction and fetal hypoxia. An umbilical cord structural anomaly or multiple entanglements may involve FVM. In the present report, we demonstrate a case of FVM caused by multiple umbilical cord abnormalities obtained from antenatal ultrasound Doppler findings, and we also discuss FVM, which is chronically associated with CP, comparing the ultrasonographic findings to the pathologic findings.

Umbilical Artery Thrombosis After Selective Termination in Dichorionic Diamniotic Twin Pregnancy: A Case Report

Introduction

Umbilical artery thrombosis is a rare complication associated with poor perinatal outcomes. The incidence of umbilical artery thrombosis in pregnancy is estimated from 0.0025% to 0.045%. Prenatal screening and diagnosis of umbilical artery thrombosis is usually performed by ultrasonography. Up to now, no treatment consensus has been achieved.

Case Presentation

We present a case of dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy complicated with selective termination of one twin with lymphoid cystic tumor at 14 weeks and 2 days of gestation and the alive twin occurred single umbilical artery thrombosis at 35 weeks and 6 days of gestation. The emergency cesarean section was performed after emergency admission. A healthy male baby was delivered weighing 2690g with Apgar scores of 10 and 10 at 1 and 5 minutes, respectively, whereas the dead fetus weighed 10 g. Thrombosis was observed throughout one of the umbilical artery of the alive fetus. The woman and the infant are followed up closely and both in good condition.

Conclusion

The number and morphology of umbilical arteries should be carefully observed during pregnancy. Individualized management of umbilical artery thrombosis should be based on clinical conditions. Timely termination of pregnancy if necessary could be suitable to improve adverse pregnancy outcomes.

How to Reach the Best Ultrasound Performance in the Delivery Room

Ultrasonography is an instrument that is present in the maternal-fetal assessment throughout pregnancy and with widely documented benefits, but its use in intrapartum is becoming increasingly relevant. From the assessment of labor progression to the assessment of placental disorders, ultrasound can be used to correlate with physiological findings and physical examination, as its benefit in the delivery room cannot yet be proven. There are still few professionals with adequate training for its use in the delivery room and for the correct interpretation of data. Thus, this article aims to present a review of the entire applicability of ultrasound in the delivery room, considering the main stages of labor. There is still limited research in evidence-based medicine of its various possible uses in intrapartum, but it is expected that further studies can bring improvements in the quality of maternal and neonatal health during labor.

Placental and Umbilical Cord Anomalies Diagnosed by Two- and Three-Dimensional Ultrasound

The aim of this review is to present a wide spectrum of placental and umbilical cord pathologies affecting the pregnancy. Placental and umbilical cord anomalies are highly associated with high-risk pregnancies and may jeopardize fetal well-being in utero as well as causing a predisposition towards poor perinatal outcome with increased fetal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. The permanent, computerized perinatology databases of different international centers have been searched and investigated to fulfil the aim of this manuscript. An extended gallery of prenatal imaging with autopsy correlation in specific cases will help to provide readers with a useful iconographic tool and will assist with the understanding and definition of this critical obstetrical and perinatological issue.

A Case of Umbilical Cord Prolapse With Intact Membranes Managed Successfully With Conservative Measures

Umbilical cord prolapse with ruptured membranes is an obstetric emergency with management consisting of delivery via emergent cesarean delivery. If the umbilical cord prolapses beyond the internal os with intact membranes, there is an opportunity to intervene and reduce the risk of fetal morbidity and mortality. A healthy 30-year-old, gravida 1 para 0 was incidentally found to have a short cervical length at 25 weeks five days on routine anatomy ultrasound evaluation. On evaluation via ultrasound by the maternal-fetal medicine service, the umbilical cord was noted to be prolapsing through the cervix with membranes intact. The cord prolapse with intact membranes resolved after placing the patient in the Trendelenburg position and nifedipine was administered for tocolysis given the uterus was noted to be contracting. For the remainder of the pregnancy, the patient underwent close follow-up and serial ultrasound scans with confirmation of the fetal head as the presenting part. The patient ultimately delivered vaginally at term. Cord prolapse with intact membranes, when identified via ultrasound, can be managed conservatively via Trendelenburg positioning and tocolysis to avoid premature cesarean delivery.

Risk scores for predicting small for gestational age infants in Japan: The TMM birthree cohort study

This study aimed to construct a prediction model for small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants in Japan by creating a risk score during pregnancy. A total of 17,073 subjects were included in the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Birth and Three-Generation Cohort Study, a prospective cohort study. A multiple logistic regression model was used to construct risk scores during early and mid-gestational periods (11–17 and 18–21 weeks of gestation, respectively). The risk score during early gestation comprised the maternal age, height, body mass index (BMI) during early gestation, parity, assisted reproductive technology (ART) with frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET), smoking status, blood pressure (BP) during early gestation, and maternal birth weight. The risk score during mid-gestation also consisted of the maternal age, height, BMI during mid-gestation, weight gain, parity, ART with FET, smoking status, BP level during mid-gestation, maternal birth weight, and estimated fetal weight during mid-gestation. The C-statistics of the risk scores during early- and mid-gestation were 0.658 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.642–0.675) and 0.725 (95% CI: 0.710–0.740), respectively. In conclusion, the predictive ability of the risk scores during mid-gestation for SGA infants was acceptable and better than that of the risk score during early gestation.

Fetal heart rate evolution patterns in cerebral palsy associated with umbilical cord complications: a nationwide study

Background

The aim of the present study was to clarify fetal heart rate (FHR) evolution patterns in infants with cerebral palsy (CP) according to different types of umbilical cord complications.

Methods

This case–control study included children born: with a birth weight   ≥2000 g, at gestational age   ≥33 weeks, with disability due to CP, and between 2009 and 2014. Obstetric characteristics and FHR patterns were compared among patients with CP associated with (126 cases) and without (594 controls) umbilical cord complications.

Results

There were 32 umbilical cord prolapse cases and 94 cases with coexistent antenatal umbilical cord complications. Compared with the control group, the persistent non-reassuring pattern was more frequent in cases with coexistent antenatal umbilical cord complications (p = 0.012). A reassuring FHR pattern was observed on admission, but resulted in prolonged deceleration, especially during the first stage of labor, and was significantly identified in 69% of cases with umbilical cord prolapse and 35% of cases with antenatal cord complications, compared to 17% of control cases (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Hypercoiled cord and abnormal placental umbilical cord insertion, may be associated with CP due to acute hypoxic-ischemic injury as well as sub-acute or chronic adverse events during pregnancy, while umbilical cord prolapse may be characterized by acute hypoxic-ischemic injury during delivery.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-022-04508-2.

Indications for Outpatient Antenatal Fetal Surveillance: ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 828

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this Committee Opinion is to offer guidance about indications for and timing and frequency of antenatal fetal surveillance in the outpatient setting. Antenatal fetal surveillance is performed to reduce the risk of stillbirth. However, because the pathway that results in increased risk of stillbirth for a given condition may not be known and antenatal fetal surveillance has not been shown to improve perinatal outcomes for all conditions associated with stillbirth, it is challenging to create a prescriptive list of all indications for which antenatal fetal surveillance should be considered. This Committee Opinion provides guidance on and suggests surveillance for conditions for which stillbirth is reported to occur more frequently than 0.8 per 1,000 (the false-negative rate of a biophysical profile) and which are associated with a relative risk or odds ratio for stillbirth of more than 2.0 compared with pregnancies without the condition. Table 1 presents suggestions for the timing and frequency of testing for specific conditions. As with all testing and interventions, shared decision making between the pregnant individual and the clinician is critically important when considering or offering antenatal fetal surveillance for individuals with pregnancies at high risk for stillbirth or with multiple comorbidities that increase the risk of stillbirth. It is important to emphasize that the guidance offered in this Committee Opinion should be construed only as suggestions; this guidance should not be construed as mandates or as all encompassing. Ultimately, individualization about if and when to offer antenatal fetal surveillance is advised.

Accuracy of predicting neonatal distress using a five-level classification of fetal heart rate monitoring

AIM

To assess the accuracy of neonatal distress prediction using the five-level classification of fetal heart rate (FHR) and management protocol of the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG).

METHODS

A case-control study was conducted. Vertex singleton pregnant women who delivered after 37 weeks' gestation from 2013 to 2015 were enrolled. The participants were categorized into two groups; controls were levels 1-3 (n = 1184), whereas cases were levels 4-5 (n = 117) group. Neonatal distress was defined as Apgar score < 8 points at 5 min or umbilical cord artery pH < 7.1.

RESULTS

There were 117 cases (9.0%). The frequency of the neonatal distress was observed in 1.3% controls and 6.8% cases (P < 0.01). Diagnostic accuracy of neonatal distress for cases showed a 6.8% positive-predictive value, 34.8% sensitivity, 91.5% specificity and 98.7% negative-predictive value. Among various obstetrical conditions, high sensitivity (100%) for prediction of neonatal distress was observed in women with chromosome abnormalities, placental abruption, umbilical cord abnormalities and excessive labor pain. Conversely, relatively low specificity (<50%) was observed in cases with oligohydramnios and excessive labor pain.

CONCLUSION

The five-level classification scheme was efficient for neonatal distress prediction. However, depending on the obstetric condition, the FHR findings and neonatal condition might be independent.

Ultrasound screening and management of vasa previa in Japan

AIM

This study aimed to clarify ultrasound screening and management for vasa previa (VP) in perinatal centers and primary facilities in Japan.

METHODS

A questionnaire survey about antepartum ultrasound screening and management for VP was delivered in 2018. Questions were sent by email or post to perinatal centers and randomly selected primary hospitals or clinics throughout Japan.

RESULTS

Seventy-seven perinatal centers and 300 primary facilities answered. VP was screened in 85.7% of perinatal centers and 81.3% of primary facilities. The reported incidence of VP was 0.05% (86/158 323) and 0.05% (28/54 791) in perinatal centers and primary facilities, respectively. When patients were diagnosed with VP, 88.7% of primary facilities referred the patient to a tertiary hospital. Routine hospitalization (100%) and steroid administration (46%) were frequently performed in perinatal centers. The median gestational age at planned cesarean section was significantly earlier in perinatal centers (34 weeks) than in primary facilities (37 weeks). Of the 31 reported cases of VP, 30 were reported as intact survival, but 1 case required an emergency cesarean section at 38 weeks of gestation without an antenatal diagnosis, resulting in neonatal death.

CONCLUSION

More than 80% of obstetric facilities both perinatal centers and clinics in Japan perform ultrasound screening with for VP with similar detection rate. However, to further improve perinatal outcomes related to VP, pathophysiology and diagnosis of VP should be more widely recognized by obstetric caregivers throughout Japan.

First trimester ultrasound prediction of velamentous cord insertions: a prospective study

INTRODUCTION

The marginal and velamentous cord insertions complicate around 8% of pregnancies and are at higher risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. Their visualisation seems to decrease with advancing gestational age. Our aim was to analyse whether an umbilical cord insertion in the lower third of the uterus during the first trimester could predict abnormal cord insertions later in pregnancy.

METHODS

This was a prospective multicentre study in two hospitals. During the first trimester, the cord insertions were inspected as well as their location (lower third of the uterus or not). Finally, all cord insertions were described at delivery.

RESULTS

During the study period the cord insertion was described in 1620 patients of which 87.7% had a normal cord insertion, 11.9% (n = 192) a low cord insertion, and in 3.8% the insertion could not be situated. We find that 4.7% of those who have a low-lying cord insertion versus 0.7% in the normal cord insertion group during the first trimester will have a velamentous cord insertion subsequently (OR = 6.67; 95% CI = 2.67-16.63).

CONCLUSION

The detection of a low lying umbilical cord insertion during the first-trimester ultrasound can help to predict an abnormal cord insertion at delivery particularly a velamentous cord insertion.