Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2001;23(9):551-551
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2001;23(9):553-558
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032001000900002
Purpose: to evaluate the role of routine obstetrical ultrasound scan in suspecting the presence of fetal congenital heart diseases and severe arrhythmias, as well as the factors involved in its accuracy. Methods: the sample was made up of 77 neonates and infants hospitalized at the Institute of Cardiology of Rio Grande do Sul from May to October of 2000, with confirmed postnatal diagnosis of structural heart disease or severe arrhythmia, whose mothers had been submitted to at least one obstetrical ultrasound scan after 18 weeks of gestation. After informed consent, a customized standard questionnaire was used. Categorical variables were compared using chi² test or Fisher's exact test and a logistic regression model was used to determine independent variables possibly involved in the prenatal suspicion of cardiac abnormalities. Results: in 19 patients (24.6%), obstetrical ultrasound was able to rise prenatal suspicion of structural or rhythm abnormalities. Considering only congenital heart diseases, this prevalence was 19.2% (14/73). In 73.7% of these cases, the cardiac disorder was accessible by the four-chamber view alone. Arrhythmias during obstetrical scan were observed in 26.3 of the babies with prenatal suspicion of a heart abnormality, while only 3.4% of the patients without prenatal suspicion showed a rhythm alteration (p=0.009). Significant differences between the groups with and without prenatal suspicion of cardiac abnormalities were observed in relation to parity (p=0.029), delivery by cesarean section (p=0.006), need for intensive care (p=0.046) and school education level of the father (p=0.014). At multivariate analysis, only the presence of a rhythm alteration during ultrasound scan was shown to be an independent variable associated with prenatal suspicion of cardiac abnormalities. Conclusions: routine obstetrical ultrasound has been underused in prenatal screening of congenital heart diseases. Adequate training and making obstetricians and the population a ware of the problem may be instruments for increasing the efficacy of routine obstetrical ultrasound in rising the suspicion of fetal cardiac abnormalities.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2001;23(9):561-566
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032001000900003
Purpose: to evaluate fetuses with facial cleft as to type of lesion, associated malformations and aneuploidies. Method: the following parameters were evaluated: maternal age and previous history, gestational age at diagnosis, lesion side, type of lesion, presence of associated malformations and aneuploidies, mortality rate and postnatal follow-up. Results: forty fetuses had facial cleft, 18 (45%) cases had cleft lip, 19 (47.5%) had cleft lip and palate, and 3 (7.5%) cases presented with cleft palate. Isolated facial cleft was observed in 10 fetuses (25%), all of them unilaterally located. Aneuploidies were identified in 10/30 (33.33%) of the patients with associated malformations. Cleft lip and palate was more often seen in this group (18/30 - 60%), followed by bilateral lesion (8/30 - 26.7%) and median cleft (10/30 - 33.3%). Conclusion: facial clefts are considered excellent signs for the presence of associated malformations and fetal aneuploidies. Fetuses with facial cleft must be referred to specialized centers in order to have specialized ultrasound and genetic analysis which can provide the best prenatal counseling for these cases. Isolated facial cleft was associated with very good prognosis.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2001;23(9):567-571
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032001000900004
Purpose: to determine normal ranges for fetal heart rate (FHR) between the 10th and 14th week of pregnancy. Methods: a total of 1078 fetuses within a crown-rump length (CRL) from the 10th to the 14th week of pregnancy were evaluated. The fetuses were divided into 4 groups: Group I (10 weeks), Group II (11 weeks), Group III (12 weeks), Group IV (13 weeks). The fetal heart was seen using B-mode/M-mode at a sagital plane and FHR was recorded. FHR was electronically calculated using calipers within 3 consecutive cycles without fetal moveiments. Results: FRH ranged from 136 to 178 bpm among the 1078 studied fetuses. Median values and standard deviations (5 and 95 percentiles) were calculated for each group. The FHR range for each group was: 158 to 184 bpm (Group I); 155 to 175 bpm (Group II); 152 to 172 bpm (Group III) and 149 to 168 bpm (Group IV). Our main finding was a progressive reduction in FHR during the time period under consideration. Discussion: FHR evaluation in the first trimester of gestation is a simple procedure and should be analyzed not only qualitatively but also quantitatively. Published papers have shown a relation ship between FHR and fetal prognosis.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2001;23(9):575-580
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032001000900005
Purpose: to check alcohol consumption during pregnancy regarding type of drink, amount ingested, awareness of alcohol consumption risk, and tracking its consumption during prenatal care. Methods: interview of 445 women who had just given birth in a maternity hospital from January to May, 1999. The data analysis was performed using Student's t test and Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test. Results: of the women interviewed, 66.3% did not consume alcohol, 17.8% consumed it throughout pregnancy and 15.9% consumed it until pregnancy was confirmed, which occurred when they were 9.6 weeks pregnant on average; 98.7% of the women consumed it on weekends or at parties, and 1.3% daily. The mean ingestion was 14.74 grams/occasion for those who consumed alcohol throughout pregnancy and 25.83% grams/occasion for those who consumed it until pregnancy was confirmed. There were statistical differences between the mean rates in both groups. The mean intake per occasion was classified as moderate. The most ingested alcoholic beverage was beer (64.0%). Regarding awareness of the risk of alcohol intake, 71.5% believe that it is not good for the fetus health, 15.5% believe that it is not good for their own health. Alcohol consumption tracking was referred to by 48.8% of the women. Conclusion: a great number of women consumed alcoholic drinks at some time during pregnancy, despite being aware of the risks to their fetus. Prenatal care is not used as a favorable occasion for alcohol consumption tracking as well as for discontinuing its intake.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2001;23(9):583-587
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032001000900006
Purpose: to investigate the social and demographic characteristics of women victims of sexual abuse; to evaluate their sexual experience before the abuse; to investigate the use of contraceptive methods at the time of the violence, and to observe the interval between the occurrence of the abuse and the search for a hospital attendance. Methods: 117 encoded records were evaluated, of a total of 134, obtained regarding the attendance of women victims of sexual abuse at the Maternity of the Hospital de Clinicas, in Curitiba, in the period between August, 1998 and June, 2000. Results: the age of the women varied from 5 to 49 years and half of them were young, with 19 years at the most. The majority of them were graduates or attending high school, 41 (41,0%) were students and 82 (82,0%) were single. The sexual experience analysis showed that one third (32,4%) was virgin. Among the women who reported sexual experience, 35 (47,9 %) were using a contraceptive method when they suffered abuse. There was a range from 2 hours to 2 months since the occurrence of the sexual violence until the search for attendance. Conclusions: the number of women victims of sexual abuse showed the importance of specialized attendance and also the necessity of a multidisciplinary attendance, since among the victims there are children who need special attention. The period of time between the sexual abuse and the search for hospital attendance was large, showing that there should be more information available to the population in relation to the prevention of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2001;23(9):589-595
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032001000900007
Purpose: to compare the embryonic development obtained with two different culture methods (sequential medium or coculture in Vero cells). Methods: oocytes were recovered from 110 patients and submitted toin vitro fertilization. The embryos of half of the patients were co-cultured with Vero cells and the embryos of the other half were cultured in sequential G1:2/G2:2 medium for five days. The embryos were transferred on the 5th day after fertilization after morphological evaluation for the determination of blastula formation rate. Pregnancy was defined by ultrasonography and a fetal heartbeat was determined 13 weeks after transfer. Results: the expanded blastocyst rate found in our study was 15.9 and 14% with Vero cells and G1:2/G2:2, respectively. With Vero cells 36.0% of patients became pregnant and the implantation rate was 18.9%. When G1:2/G2:2 was used, the pregnancy and implantation rates were 28.9 and 14.9%, respectively. Only 17 patients had blastocysts after coculture in Vero cells, with a 76.5% pregnancy rate and a 63.5% implantation rate. When embryos were cultured in G1/G2, 21 patients presented blastocysts and the pregnancy and implantation rates were 57.1 and 76.0%, respectively. Conclusion: there was no significant difference in pregnancy or implantation rates between the 2 types of culture. When expanded blastocysts were transferred, the implantation and pregnancy rats increased with both culture types. In these patients, regardless of the type of culture used, a larger number of oocytes was obtained, suggesting that the implantation and pregnancy rates are affected not only by the culture conditions but also by the quality of the eggs, since "good responders" had better results.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2001;23(9):597-602
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032001000900008
Purpose: to evaluate the results of uterine artery embolization (UAE) in the treatment of uterine leiomyomas. Methods: eighteen patients with ultrasonographic diagnosis of uterine leiomyomas were submitted to UAE with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particles. The femoral arteries are the access sites until selective catheterization of the uterine arteries. Imaging regarding uterine volume was performed before the procedure and three months after wards. Clinical follow-up was performed at regular intervals after the procedure to assess patient menstrual characteristics and uterine volume. Results: three procedures were technically unsuccessful because of failure of superselective catheterization. Control of menorrhagia and pelvic pain was reported at three months after the procedure by 86 and 60% of patients, respectively. The initial mean uterine volume was 381 cm³ and after 3 months, 263 cm³. The mean uterine volume reduction was 27.4% after three months of follow-up. Clinical and biochemical findings consistent with ovarian failure were observed in three (20%) patients. Conclusions: UAE represents a new therapeutic approach in the treatment of uterine leiomyomas. The risk of ovarian failure after the procedure limits its use to patients aged 45 years or without pregnancy wish.