Several miRNAs are expressed in human gestational tissue, and some have been shown to be associated with placental dysfunction and complicated pregnancy outcomes. To investigate the roles of miR-346 and miR-582-3p in adverse obstetric events, we analyzed these 2 miRNAs in three samples (maternal blood, umbilical cord blood and placenta) obtained from pregnant women in four groups, including hea...

BACKGROUND Our aim was to describe the range of perineal trauma in women with a singleton vaginal birth and estimate the effect of maternal and obstetric characteristics on the incidence of perineal tears. METHODS We conducted a prospective observational study on all women with a planned singleton vaginal delivery between May and September 2006 in one obstetric unit, three freestanding midwif...

We aimed to determine the maternal characteristics (demographics, an obstetric history, and prior cervical excisional procedure) associated with a short mid-trimester cervical length (CL, defined as a CL of ≤ 25 mm) and whether having a short cervix explains the association between these maternal characteristics and spontaneous preterm delivery (SPTD, defined as a delivery before 34 weeks). Thi...

BACKGROUND Q fever is a zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii. During pregnancy, it may result in obstetric complications, such as spontaneous abortion, intrauterine growth retardation, intrauterine fetal death, and premature delivery. Pregnant women are exposed to the risk of chronic Q fever. METHODS We included 53 pregnant women who received a diagnosis of Q fever. We compared the incidence ...

BACKGROUND Disrespectful and abusive maternity care is a common and pervasive problem that disproportionately impacts marginalized women. By making mothers less likely to agree to facility-based delivery, it contributes to the unacceptably high rates of maternal mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Few programmatic approaches have been proposed to address disrespectful and abusive mat...

BACKGROUND Healthcare financing through health insurance is gaining traction as developing countries strive to achieve universal health coverage and address the limited access to critical health services for specific populations including pregnant women and their children. However, these reforms are taking place despite limited evaluation of impact of health insurance on maternal health in deve...

The burden of maternal ill-health includes not only the levels of maternal mortality and complications during pregnancy and around the time of delivery but also extends to the standard postpartum period of 42 days with consequences of obstetric complications and poor management at delivery. There is a dearth of reliable data on these postpartum maternal morbidities and disabilities in developin...

MANAGEMENT of labor after previous cesarean delivery continues to be a controversial area of obstetric practice. Neither repeat cesarean delivery nor a trial of labor are without risk. Currently, cesarean delivery is the most commonly performed operation, and repeat cesarean delivery is the most common indication. Although the prevalence of vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC) increased...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to identify the relevant obstetric factors for cerebral palsy (CP) after 33 weeks' gestation in Japan. STUDY DESIGN This retrospective case cohort study (1:100 cases and controls) used a Japanese national CP registry. Obstetric characteristics and clinical course were compared between CP cases in the Japan Obstetric Compensation System for Cerebral Palsy da...