OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA PI) of hypertensive pregnancies is higher than that of normal pregnancies in the puerperium, as well as in the antepartum period. METHODS: The UtA PI was measured in hypertensive (group 1) and normal pregnancies (group 2) during antepartum, immediate postpartum or late postpartum periods. Using the transvaginal approach, the bilateral uterine artery indices were measured. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-two women were enrolled: group 1, hypertensive disease in pregnancy (11 cases in antepartum, 13 cases in immediate postpartum and 10 cases in late postpartum period); group 2, normal pregnancies (32 cases in antepartum, 29 cases in immediate postpartum and 27 cases in late postpartum). In antepartum and immediate postpartum periods, the mean UtA PI and the proportion of cases with an early diastolic notch were higher in group 1 than in group 2 (antepartum mean UtA PI, 1.14 in group 1 vs. 0.68 in group 2, P<0.001; early diastolic notch, 46% vs. 9%, P<0.05; immediate postpartum mean UtA PI, 1.30 vs. 1.08, P<0.05; early diastolic notch, 85% vs. 48%, P<0.05). In late postpartum period, the mean value of UtA PI of group 1 was still higher than that of group 2, although the proportion of cases with an early diastolic notch was not different (mean UtA PI, 1.43 vs. 1.20, P<0.05; early diastolic notch, 60% vs. 52%, P=0.73). CONCLUSION: The UtA PI in hypertensive pregnancies was still higher than normal pregnancies in puerperal periods, suggesting that more than several weeks are required to resolve increased uterine artery vascular impedance.
Electric Impedance ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Postpartum Period* ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy* ; Uterine Artery*

Listeriosis is an infectious disease caused by Listeria monocytogenes, a gram positive, facultatively anaerobic bacterium. Listeriosis occurs primarily in newborn infants, elderly patients, immunocompromised patients and pregnant women. One third of the patients are pregnant women, and complications of this disease include miscarriage, stillbirth and preterm labor. We experienced a case of listeriosis in a singleton pregnancy at 23rd week of gestation that presented with fever, chill, lower abdominal pain, backache, and eventually resulted in fetal death in utero. Autopsy results of the stillborn baby, as well as blood and amniotic fluid culture of the mother confirmed Listeria monocytogenes infection. Proper antibiotics therapy thereafter led to clear recovery of the infected mother. We report this case with a brief review of literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Abortion, Spontaneous ; Aged ; Amniocentesis ; Amniotic Fluid ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Autopsy ; Back Pain ; Communicable Diseases ; Female ; Fetal Death ; Fever ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Infant, Newborn ; Listeria ; Listeria monocytogenes ; Listeriosis ; Mothers ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnant Women ; Stillbirth

This study examined urinary cotinine levels and self-reported smoking among pregnant women in Korea and the factors associated with smoking during pregnancy. The subjects were selected from pregnant women who visited 30 randomly sampled obstetric clinics and prenatal care hospitals in Korea in 2006. Smoking status was determined by self-reporting and urinary cotinine measurement. A total of 1,090 self-administered questionnaires and 1,057 urine samples were analyzed. The percentage of smoking revealed by self-reporting was 0.55% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11-0.99) and that revealed by urinary cotinine measurement (>100 ng/mL) was 3.03% (95% CI, 1.99-4.06). The kappa coefficient of agreement between self-reported smoking status and urinary cotinine measurement was 0.20 (95% CI, 0.03-0.37). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that early gestational period, low educational level, and being married to a smoker were significant risk factors for smoking during pregnancy. Smoking among pregnant women in Korea is not negligible, and those who are concerned to maternal and child health should be aware of this possibility among pregnant women in countries with similar cultural background.
Adult ; Cotinine/*urine ; Female ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Pregnancy ; Reproducibility of Results ; Self-Examination/*statistics & numerical data ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Smoking/*epidemiology/*urine ; Young Adult

Cantrell's Pentalogy is a rare condition that consists of defects involving the abdominal wall, lower sternum, anterior diaphragm, pericardium, and heart. In the literature to date, pregnant women with Cantrell's Pentalogy have not been discussed. We performed successful vaginal delivery of a 23-yr-old nulliparous, primigravid woman who had been diagnosed with this condition. Diagnosis was based on cardiac catheterization, angiography, and echocardiogram, and abdominopelvic CT. Vaginal delivery may be an option for women with Cantrell's Pentalogy and may be attempted with caution.
Abdominal Muscles/abnormalities ; Abdominal Wall/abnormalities ; *Abnormalities, Multiple ; Diaphragm/abnormalities ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Oligohydramnios/diagnosis ; Pregnancy ; *Pregnancy Complications ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Sternum/abnormalities ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of antenatal diagnosis, pregnancy outcome and the predictors for adverse outcome in antenatally diagnosed congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM). METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on a total of 32 patients with antenatally diagnosed CCAM between January, 1999 and June, 2008. RESULTS: Of 32 cases with antenatally diagnosed CCAM, 8 patients were lost to follow-up. In remaining 24 patients, postnatal histologic examination and/or radiologic study showed definitive diagnostic features of CCAM (n=20), pulmonary sequestration (n=3) and congenital lobar emphysema (n=1). The accuracy of antenatal diagnosis was 83.3% (20/24). The rate of presence of hydrops and/or ascites was 10% (2/20) in those with CCAM confirmed postnatally. Of the 2 patients with ascites and/or hydrops, thoraco-amniotic (TA) shunt was performed in one case with hydrops and termination was done in the other case. All of the 15 cases with ongoing pregnancy were delivered at term, except one with TA-shunt who was born at 33(+3) weeks of gestation (mean gestational age at birth+/-standard deviation; 39.6+/-2.2 weeks, mean birth weight; 3,200+/-500 gram). All 15 neonates were discharged alive without any complication. Antenatal sonographic microcystic lesion was associated with postnatal histologic type III lesion [5 type III lesions in 7 microcystitc cases (71.4%) vs. no type III lesion in 13 macrocystic cases (0%), P<0.01]. CONCLUSION: The incidence of ascites and/or hydrops was 10% (2/20) in fetuses with CCAM. Antenatally diagnosed CCAM has an excellent prognosis in the absence of signs of ascites and/or hydrops.
Ascites ; Bronchopulmonary Sequestration ; Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation of Lung, Congenital ; Edema ; Emphysema ; Female ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Prognosis ; Pulmonary Emphysema ; Retrospective Studies

We present two fetuses who were prenatally diagnosed by amniocentesis as having chromosomal mosaicism but who had a normal karyotype in the fetal blood by cordocentesis. One of the both fetuses had Turner and the other had trisomy 20 mosaicism. The prognosis for Turner mosaicism and trisomy 20 mosaicism diagnosed prenatally has yet to be established. The pregnancy with 45,X/46,XX mosaicism was terminated at 23+3 weeks' gestation. Autopsy findings showed no features of Turner's syndrome. Postnatal cytogenetic analysis revealed 45,X[4]/46,XX[52] mosaicism in skin and 46,XX in the lung tissue. The other fetus had amniocytes with trisomy 20 mosaicism and fetal cord blood cells with a normal karyotype. The baby was delivered at 38+2 weeks' gestation. At birth and 3 months after birth, no apparent abnormal findings were found. These cases with chromosomal discrepancy among various fetal tissues are rare. Two cases were discussed with the review of literature.
Amniocentesis ; Amniotic Fluid ; Autopsy ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 20 ; Cordocentesis ; Cytogenetic Analysis ; Cytogenetics ; Female ; Fetal Blood ; Fetus ; Karyotype ; Lung ; Mosaicism ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Prognosis ; Skin ; Trisomy ; Turner Syndrome

Spontaneous uterine rupture during pregnancy is a very uncommon but catastrophic event resulting in even maternal and newborn mortality. Clinicians should make a prompt diagnosis and management in patients presenting with acute abdominal pain, hypovolemic shock and fetal compromise. We present a case of spontaneous uterine rupture during second trimester.
Abdominal Pain ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Shock ; Uterine Rupture

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to estimate the success rate of vaginal delivery after trial of labor (TOL) and to analyze the neonatal outcome of vertex-vertex (V-V) and vertex-nonvertex (V-NV) second twin according to the mode of delivery. METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of V-V and V-NV twin delivered between December 1996 and February 2006. The patients were classified as TOL group and elective cesarean delivery (ECD) group to compare of the neonatal morbidity and mortality in second twin. Neonatal morbidity included intraventricular hemorrhage, respiratory distress syndrome, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, and birth trauma. Student t-test, Mann-Whtiney U test, Pearson's chi-square, and Fisher's exact were performed for the comparison of the neonatal outcome in second twin according to the groups. RESULTS: There are 349 eligible cases within given period. The proportions of TOL and ECD were 49% (n=170) and 51% (n=179), respectively. The success rates of vaginal delivery after TOL were 75% (n=93) in V-V twin and 70% (n=32) in V-NV twin. There were no significant differences in the neonatal outcome between TOL and ECD group. Additionally there were no significant differences in the neonatal outcome between cesarean delivery after the failure of TOL (n=45) and ECD group. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that TOL in V-V and V-NV twin may be a safe method and can reduce the rate of ECD without adverse effect on neonatal outcome of second twin unless there are other obstetrical indications for cesarean delivery.
Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Parturition ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis ; Trial of Labor ; Twins*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pregnancy outcomes of women with congenital uterine anomaly exceeding 20 weeks of gestation. METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively the birth records of the Seoul National University Hospital between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2005. We grouped congenital uterine anomalies into five classes, namely bicornuate, didelphys, septate, arcuate, and unicornuate uterus. We compared the pregnancy outcomes with each anomaly. RESULTS: We found 106 cases of congenital uterine anomaly within a given period of time. There were 63 cases of bicornuate uterus, 19 cases of didelphys, 16 cases of septate uterus, 5 cases of arcuate uterus, and 3 cases of unicornuate uterus. The overall preterm delivery rate was 22.6% (24/106) and cesarean section rate was 74.5% (79/106). A high cesarean section rate was due to metroplasty, abnormal fetal presentation, and uterine anomaly itself. The preterm delivery rate and cesarean section rate of each uterine anomaly did not differ statistically from one another. Five fetuses were stillborn, and one fetus died after birth because of a placenta abruption. The overall take-home baby rate was 94.3% (100/106). There was no maternal mortality and only one case was suffered from postpartum bleeding. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the most of women with uterine anomaly exceeding 20 weeks of gestation may take their baby home.
Birth Certificates ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Fetus ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Labor Presentation ; Maternal Mortality ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Parturition ; Placenta ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Uterus

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of twin-to-twin delivery interval on umbilical artery acid-base status of the second twin at birth. This was a retrospective cohort study of all live-born twins with measured acid-base status in umbilical arterial blood who were delivered after 34 weeks' gestation from June 2003 to February 2006. Twins with any maternal or fetal complications were excluded. Subjects were divided into two groups based on the mode of delivery of the first twin: normal cephalic vaginal deliveries (n=40) or cesarean deliveries (n=67). The inter-twin differences in umbilical arterial blood pH, PCO2, PO2, and base excess in twin newborns born vaginally were significantly greater than the corresponding differences in those born by cesarean section. A significant positive correlation was found between twin-to-twin delivery interval and inter-twin difference in umbilical arterial blood pH in twin newborns born vaginally. The umbilical arterial blood pH of the second twin was less than 7.0 in 14% (2/14) in cases delivered more than 20 min after the first twin. The umbilical arterial blood gas status of the second twin worsened with increasing twin-to-twin delivery interval, and pathologic fetal acidemia (pH<7.0) might develop in the second twin when the twin-to-twin delivery interval was greater than 20 min.
Umbilical Arteries/*chemistry ; Twins/*blood ; Time Factors ; Statistics ; Retrospective Studies ; Infant, Newborn ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Humans ; Delivery, Obstetric/*methods ; Cohort Studies ; *Acid-Base Equilibrium