Antenatal ultrasound screening using check list before delivery for predicting a non-reassuring fetal status during labor

Prediction of postnatal abnormal umbilical cord coiling by antenatal evaluation in pregnant women: Diagnostic accuracy study; a systematic review

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Umbilical cord abnormalities increase neonatal morbidity and mortality. Considering uncertainties about the best time of an antenatal ultrasonography scan to evaluate the umbilical coiling index (UCI), this systematic review was designed to assess the diagnostic accuracy value of antenatal ultrasound assessments to predict abnormal postpartum UCI.

METHODS

All observational, cross-sectional, case-control, cohort, and diagnostic accuracy studies up to March 26, 2022, were searched and assessed according to PRISMA guidelines in Ovid, Cochrane, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Proquest, Science Direct, and Clinical Key databases, and Google Scholar search engine.

RESULTS

The total number of 63 190 documents were retrieved from databases. The duplicates (19 272) were removed, 43 918 articles were screened for relevance, and 56 papers were selected for full-text evaluation, resulting in 14 qualified pieces subjected to the quality CASP tools for each type of study. Finally, six articles were evaluated, extracted, and confirmed. Overall, we had 16 evaluations (11 normal pregnancies, 4 gestational diabetes mellitus, and 1 group at risk for small gestational age), from which 9 and 7 were respectively performed in the second and third trimesters. Most of the evaluations considered both hypocoiling and hypercoiling. The sensitivity, specificity, and area under curves (AUCs) change range between the evaluations were 0.09-0.97, 0.59-0.96, and 0.262-0.84, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Observing any coiling abnormalities in every trimester, both the second and third, is highly sensitive to predicting abnormal postnatal UCI (pUCI). Conclusively, any detected antenatal abnormality is worth attention. Both trimesters' evaluations are essential, and no superiority is seen for any of them. The systematic review revealed statistical and clinical heterogeneity; a meta-analysis was impossible.

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.

Perinatal outcomes of cases with umbilical hypocoiled cord: a study at a single perinatal center

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the perinatal outcomes of hypocoiled cord.

METHODS

This retrospective study was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Showa University Hospital between 2011 and 2017. Umbilical cord index (UCI) was calculated by dividing the total number of coils by the total length of umbilical cord. All umbilical cords were measured and calculated coiling index by obstetrician after delivery. Perinatal outcomes like non-reassuring fetal status (NRFS), emergency cesarean sections, and other perinatal complications were compared.

RESULTS

From January 2011 to December 2017, a total of 4047 fetuses were born at our hospital after 28 weeks' gestation. After excluding 100 fetuses of hypercoiled cord, a total of 3947 fetuses were included in this study, of which 71 fetuses were hypocoiled cord and 3876 fetuses were normal coiled cord. There were no association between maternal background and both UCI group. NRFS during labor was significantly associated with hypocoiled cord compared with normal cord (p = .02). Additionally, the rates of emergency cesarean section were raised in cases of hypocoiled cord (p = .02).

CONCLUSION

In this study, it was found that hypocoiled cord is related to NRFS and emergency cesarean section. In addition, hypocoiled cord was not associated with any maternal factors. However, in previous studies, no opinion has been reported on the timing of diagnosis of hypocoiled cord during pregnancy. It is difficult to evaluate hypocoiled cord correctly in third trimester. It is a task to find the hypocoiled cord correctly before birth.

Maternal Altitude-Corrected Hemoglobin and at Term Neonatal Anthropometry at 3400 m of Altitude

Villamonte-Calanche, Wilfredo, Nelly Lam-Figueroa, Maria Jerí-Palomino, Cleto De-La-Torre, and Alexandra A. Villamonte-Jerí. Maternal altitude-corrected hemoglobin and at term neonatal anthropometry at 3400 m of altitude. High Alt Med Biol. 21:287-291, 2020. Introduction: Fetal growth is prominent in the last trimester of pregnancy. The development of the fetus depends on the nutrient consumption and oxygen delivery of the pregnant woman. Therefore, maternal anemia has an inverse relationship with fetal growth. Consequently, the newborn has lower anthropometric measurements. Residing in places of a high altitude increases the level of hemoglobin (Hb); as a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends adjusting the value of Hb in maternal blood at 3400-m altitude by reducing 2.4 g/dL to obtain the corrected Hb (HbCorr). Objective: To determine if the relationship of maternal HbCorr for high altitude is related to term neonatal anthropometry at 3400-m altitude. Material and Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study and evaluated the neonatal anthropometric variables (weight, ponderal index, head circumference [HC], and HC for birthweight index) in 308 exposed pregnant women (HbCorr <11 g/dL) and 600 unexposed pregnant women (HbCorr ≥11 g/dL). We obtained absolute relative frequencies and measures of central tendency. Besides, we compared the qualitative and quantitative variables using the chi-square and the Student t or the Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis U test, if applicable. We also performed linear regression. Results: Of anemic pregnant women, 68.2% were mild, while only 1% were severe. There was no relationship between HbCorr and neonatal anthropometry, and none of the anemic pregnant women showed a statistical difference in the neonatal anthropometric measures evaluated compared to the unexposed women. Conclusion: There is no relationship between HbCorr and neonatal anthropometry at 3400-m altitude.

Prediction of postnatal abnormal coiling of the umbilical cord in gestational diabetes mellitus: a diagnostic accuracy study

Objective: To investigate whether evaluations of antenatal umbilical coiling index (aUCI) could predict postnatal umbilical coiling index (UCI) (pUCI) in people with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) compared with normal pregnancy independent of maternal demographic and reproductive characteristics.Method: In this prospective study, 105 women with normal pregnancy, and 117 women with pregnancy complicated by GDM were recruited. Ultrasound scan of umbilical cord was performed at 18-23 and 37-41 weeks of gestation (WG). Evaluation of pUCI, as the reference standard, was performed within 24 hours after delivery.Findings: There was no significant relationship between aUCI and maternal demographic and reproductive characteristics. The mean for pUCI was 0.21 ± 0.12 in the GDM group, and 0.21 ± 0.09 in the normal pregnancy (p = .61). In the GDM group, a significant association was found between aUCI and pUCI categories (p = .004). The area under curve (AUC) was less than 0.5 for hypocoiling in both groups. For hypercoiling it was 0.84 ± 0.04 in the GDM group and 0.75 ± 0.06 in the normal pregnancy group (18-23 WG). In the GDM group the cutoff points that predict hypercoiling were 0.28 (18-23WG), and 0.21 (37-41WG). These were 0.35 (18-23WG), and 0.33 (37-41WG) in the normal pregnancy group. Diagnostic accuracy analysis revealed that in the GDM group, the sensitivity and specificity of hypercoiling for prediction of pUCI were 0.94 and 0.70 respectively at 18-23 WG.Conclusions: Antenatal hypercoiling at the second trimester of pregnancy strongly predict postnatal hypercoiling in pregnancies complicated by GDM.

Causes of intrauterine fetal death are changing in recent years

OBJECTIVE

To investigate, how causes of intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) have changed in recent years with the advancement of prenatal diagnosis at a single perinatal center in Japan.

METHODS

Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for all cases of IUFDs that occurred between 2001 and 2014. The most commonly associated causes of fetal deaths were compared between 2001-2007 and 2008-2014.

RESULTS

The number of IUFD after 20 weeks' gestation/all deliveries in our center was 38/6878 cases (0.53%) in 2001-2007 and 35/7326 (0.48%) in 2008-2014. The leading cause of IUFD in 2001-2007 was fetal abnormalities (43.2%), the prevalence of which was only 8.6% in 2008-2014 (P<0.01). Meanwhile, the prevalence of umbilical cord abnormalities was relatively increased from 30.0% in 2001-2007 to 54.5% in 2008-2014 (P=0.06). In 2001-2007, chromosomal abnormalities were frequently observed (56% of IUFDs due to fetal abnormalities). Hyper-coiled cord (HCC) and umbilical ring constrictions were the most frequent cause of IUFD in both periods. The relatively decreased prevalence of IUFD due to velamentous cord insertion and umbilical cord entanglement, HCC and umbilical cord constriction was increased.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of IUFD due to fetal abnormalities was reduced, but IUFD associated with umbilical cord abnormalities tended to increase relatively.

A Controversial Medicolegal Issue: Timing the Onset of Perinatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury

Perinatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, as a result of chronic, subacute, and acute insults, represents the pathological consequence of fetal distress and birth or perinatal asphyxia, that is, “nonreassuring fetal status.” Hypoxic-ischemic injury (HII) is typically characterized by an early phase of damage, followed by a delayed inflammatory local response, in an apoptosis-necrosis continuum. In the early phase, the cytotoxic edema and eventual acute lysis take place; with reperfusion, additional damage should be assigned to excitotoxicity and oxidative stress. Finally, a later phase involves all the inflammatory activity and long-term neural tissue repairing and remodeling. In this model mechanism, loss of mitochondrial function is supposed to be the hallmark of secondary injury progression, and autophagy which is lysosome-mediated play a role in enhancing brain injury. Early-induced molecules driven by hypoxia, as chaperonins HSPs and ORP150, besides common markers for inflammatory responses, have predictive value in timing the onset of neonatal HII; on the other hand, clinical biomarkers for HII diagnosis, as CK-BB, LDH, S-100beta, and NSE, could be useful to predict outcomes.