Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2006;28(3):165-170
08-25-2006
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032006000300005
PURPOSE: to describe perinatal and obstetric characteristics of pregnant women with ultrasonographic early placental aging. METHODS: using a retrospective, descriptive, series of cases, with group comparison, the authors analyzed the data of 146 pregnant women, whose diagnosis of placental early aging (presence of grade II placenta before 32 gestational weeks or grade III, before 35 gestational weeks), and maternal-fetal conditions had been recorded in the medical charts at the "Maternidade Prof. Monteiro de Moraes", Recife, Pernambuco Brazil, from January 2000 to December 2002, where they had been attended as inpatients. The exclusion criteria were diagnoses of: premature amniorrhexis, multiple pregnancies, acute premature detachment of a normally located placenta, and fetal malformation. The clinical and obstetric complications were: hypertensive diseases, intrauterine growth restriction, changes of amniotic fluid volume, infections, maternal diabetes, falciform anemia, HIV seropositivity, drug addiction, renal lithiasis, epilepsy and bronchial asthma. In the medical records, 106 pregnant women were identified as having clinical and obstetric complications (Gwith group) and 40 as not having any of these complications (Gwithout group). For group comparisons, chi2 and exact Fisher statistical tests were used, with significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: Gwith group was associated with higher incidence of oligoamnion (27.3%), intrauterine growth restriction (44.3%) and caesarean section prior to labor (36.8%). Compared to Gwithout, the Gwith group was characterized by high incidence of: fetal death, prematurity (58.8% versus 40%), lower 5th minute Apgar index, birth weight less than 2.500g (67.9% versus 40%); small body size for gestational age (39.2% versus 10%) and more severe intercurrents events. CONCLUSIONS: perinatal prognosis does not depend upon placental early aging, but on clinical and obstetric maternal complications.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2005;27(11):691-697
04-10-2005
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032005001100010
This is both a synthesis and a review of the major research findings, with the aim of validating Rudge's group IB. In this group of pregnants, screening for gestational diabetes was positive while the diagnosis was negative (normal 100 g-oral glucose tolerance test 100 g-OGTT). Nonetheless, the variations in glucose levels observed throughout the day, and confirmed by the glycemic profile (GP), characterized diurnal hyperglycemia, which accounts for maternal risk and adverse perinatal outcome. The description of this group is unique for both the establishment of the diagnosis during gestation and the follow-up of both the mother and the infant. These pregnancies have been erroneously classified as "low risk" and have not been diagnosed or treated. The IB group corresponds to 13.8% of the pregnant women screened in our service. This rate, added to the 7% of pregnancies complicated by diabetes, increase the occurrence of hyperglycemic disorders during gestation to up to 20.0%. In Rudge's group IB: a) perinatal mortality rate is 41‰, which is similar to that observed among diabetic pregnant women and 10 times higher than that found among non-diabetics; b) the observed placental abnormalities (both morphological and functional) differed from those seen in non-diabetic and diabetic pregnant women, indicating an adjustment to maintain functional activities that facilitated the passage of glucose to the fetus and explained fetal macrosomia (53.8% in non-treated pregnancies); c) maternal risk for hypertension, obesity and hyperglycemia was high and seemed to reproduce a model of metabolic syndrome, favoring the potential risk for future diabetes; d) 10 years after the index-pregnancy, type 2 diabetes was confirmed in 16.7% of the women in group IB. The authors suggest the development of multicentric studies in order to identify biomarkers specific for Rudge's group IB and establish protocols for the diagnosis of gestational hyperglycemic disorders using the combination GP + 100g-GTT as a standard. This procedure may cause an impact on the morbidity/mortality rate among pregnancies complicated by diurnal hyperglycemia.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2005;27(3):155-160
03-06-2005
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032005000300010
PURPOSE: to evaluate the outcome of fetuses with risk of chromosomal anomalies over 1:300, based on the nuchal translucency measurement, according to the Fetal Medicine Program. METHODS: in the pregnancies with risk of chromosomal anomalies over 1:300, variables like fetal karyotype, spontaneous or induced abortion, prematurity, stillbirth, neonatal death, malformations, and healthy newborn were considered. We used Fisher's exact test to compare differences in proportions between groups. RESULTS: we selected 193 (3.6%) single pregnancies with risk of chromosomal anomalies over 1:300. Only 165 cases fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of these only 32.1% underwent fetal karyotyping and of which 8.5% had chromosomal anomalies (85.7% had trisomy 21). Regarding pregnancy outcomes, 4.2% were spontaneous miscarriages, 4.2% induced abortions, 4.8% were premature, 1.8% had neonatal death, 1.8% were stillborn, and 4.2% had structural malformation (85.7% congenital heart diseases). Almost 85.0% were healthy newborns. Patients with abnormal karyotyping had more induced abortions (p<0.001) and more structural malformations (p<0.001) than patients with normal karyotyping. None of the genetic diseases or miscarriages was associated with invasive procedures. Sixty-six percent of the pregnancies with prenatal diagnosis of abnormal karyotype were interrupted. CONCLUSION: nuchal translucency is an important screening tool for chromosomal diseases especially for low-risk pregnancies. However, counseling pregnancies with high risk of chromosomal anomalies should consider that, although these fetuses have a worse prognosis, most of the outcomes are favorable.