The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians
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J. Matern. Fetal. Neonatal. Med. · Jun 2020
Randomized Controlled TrialCurative effect of remifentanil on labor analgesia in newborns.
Objective: To investigate the curative effect of remifentanil on analgesia in newborns. Patients and methods: One hundred and twenty full-term puerperae from January 2013 to December 2013 were selected and randomly divided into three groups: remifentanil patient-controlled intravenous labor analgesia group (Group A, n = 40), patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) group (Group B, n = 40), and spontaneous labor group (Group C, n = 40). General conditions, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, labor stage, bleeding, delivery mode, neonatal asphyxia rate, oxyhemoglobin saturation in puerpera, and umbilical arterial blood gas analysis indexes of the fetus were measured. ⋯ The active phases in the first stage of labor in Group A and B were significantly shorter than that in Group C (p <.05). There were no significant differences in general conditions, VAS score before analgesia, the second and third stages of labor, delivery mode, bleeding, neonatal asphyxia rate, oxyhemoglobin saturation, pH value, partial pressure of oxygen (PO2), and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2) among three groups (p > .05). Conclusions: Remifentanil intravenous labor analgesia is not superior to PCEA, but does not increase adverse effects, suggesting it might be a supplementary method of PCEA.
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J. Matern. Fetal. Neonatal. Med. · Jun 2020
Evaluation of the effect of antenatal betamethasone on neonatal respiratory morbidity in early-term elective cesarean.
Background: Compared with vaginal delivery, early-term cesarean section (CS) is associated with an increased risk of neonatal respiratory morbidity. Given the role of steroids in lung maturation in preterm labor, few studies have investigated their effects on early-term delivery. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of antenatal betamethasone on neonatal respiratory morbidity in early-term elective cesarean (37-38 weeks and 6 d). ⋯ The prevalence of respiratory distress, as a cause for admission, was significantly lower in the betamethasone group (p = .005). Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that intramuscular injection of 12 mg of betamethasone in two doses, with an interval of 24 h, after 37 weeks of gestation in women undergoing early-term CS did not have a significant effect on respiratory morbidities in neonates. However, it decreased the frequency of admission to NICU, especially admission due to respiratory distress; it could indicate that the respiratory morbidities were less severe in betamethasone group than in the control group.
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J. Matern. Fetal. Neonatal. Med. · May 2020
External cephalic version of the non-cephalic presenting twin: a systematic review.
Objective: Decreasing the primary cesarean delivery rate and associated maternal and fetal complications is a priority for obstetric care providers. External cephalic version (ECV) is a procedure recommended for women with singleton pregnancies where the fetus is malpresenting to avoid vaginal breech delivery, which is inherently riskier than cesarean delivery. However, little is known about this procedure in the context of twin gestations. ⋯ Conclusions: ECV is insufficiently studied in twin pregnancy. Based on very limited data, it appears feasible to turn the non-cephalic presenting twin. Additional randomized controlled trials are needed to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of this procedure for a non-cephalic presenting twin.
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J. Matern. Fetal. Neonatal. Med. · May 2020
Antenatal corticosteroids for pregnant women with COVID-19 infection and preterm prelabor rupture of membranes: a decision analysis.
Background: While antenatal corticosteroids are routinely used to decrease adverse neonatal outcomes following preterm delivery, corticosteroids are also associated with worse outcomes in patients with viral respiratory infections. Currently in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is unclear whether antenatal corticosteroids for infant benefit outweigh the potential harm to a pregnant woman with a COVID-19 infection. Objective: To determine at which gestational ages administering antenatal corticosteroids is the optimal management strategy for hospitalized women with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) who have a COVID-19 infection. ⋯ On sensitivity analyses, we found that with increasing gestational age, the probability which antenatal corticosteroids was the optimal management strategy decreased. Conclusion: Administration of antenatal corticosteroids was an effective management strategy compared to no corticosteroid administration at gestational ages less than 31 weeks. These results provide data for clinicians to utilize when counseling pregnant patients hospitalized with PPROM and have a COVID-19 infection.
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J. Matern. Fetal. Neonatal. Med. · May 2020
Simulation-guided preparations for the management of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases in the obstetric emergency theater.
Aims: The coronavirus 2019 infection (COVID-19) global outbreak has resulted in unprecedented pressures on health services, the need to prepare for the worst-case scenario, and the need for health experts to utilize their knowledge and expertise to fight this virus. The simulation training objective of this study was to enhance the neonatal, maternity, and anesthetics teams' preparedness for the management of the emergency delivery of pregnant women with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. Methods: Three clinical simulation training sessions were conducted in March 2020 at the University Hospital Plymouth, Plymouth, UK. ⋯ Suggestions were discussed and recommendations made. The key changes were: first, floor plan adjustment, increase of the clinical area by converting some offices to clinical spaces, and standard operating procedures for transporting patients; second, enhancement of the efficiency of the communication and coordination between the clinical teams; third, availability of extra support for the staff in the Central Delivery Suite (CDS); and fourth, introduction of a neonatal care pathway to manage neonatal resuscitation in such an emergency. Conclusions: Collaboration and joint training between the different clinical teams involved in the care of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients was proven to be one of the most effective ways of improving performance.