Known knowns, unknown unknowns and everything in-between

Letter to the Editor, BJOG Exchange

Mini-commentary on BJOG-20-1239.R3: Intramuscular oxytocin versus Syntometrine versus carbetocin for prevention of primary postpartum haemorrhage after vaginal birth: a randomised double blinded clinical trial of effectiveness, side effects and quality of life

BJOG-20-0640.R1 The evolving definition of pre-eclampsia

BJOG Debate

Letter to the Editor, BJOG Exchange

A document by Peter Braude. Click on the document to view its contents.

Mini-commentary on BJOG-20-1841.R1: Cervical dilatation and preparation prior to outpatient hysteroscopy: A systematic-review and meta-analysis

Mini-commentary on BJOG-20-1651.R1: Early and late pregnancy loss in women with polycystic ovary syndrome undergoing IVF/ICSI treatment: a retrospective cohort analysis of 21,820 pregnancies

We describe a novel surgical technique of 31 patients with histopathologically–confirmed placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorders managed by a multidisciplinary team using prophylactic infrarenal abdominal aortic cross-clamping technique during cesarean hysterectomy. We conclude that this new surgical procedure is a safe and effective technique to reduce operative blood loss. Hopefully, our pioneer work will stimulate others to develop protocols assessing this innovative technique to improve surgical outcome of PAS disorders.

A document by Rufus Cartwright. Click on the document to view its contents.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that delayed cord clamping (DCC) is safe in mothers with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Prospective, observational study involving epidemiological information from 403 pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 between March 1st and May 31st, 2020. Data were collected from 70 centers that participate in the Spanish Registry of COVID-19. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The rate of perinatal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and development of COVID-19 disease in neonates at day 14 of the delivery. RESULTS: The Early cord clamping (ECC) group consisted of 231 infants (57.3%), whereas the DCC group consisted of 172 infants (42.7%). A total of 5 positive cases (1.7% of total tests performed) were identified with the nasopharyngeal PCR tests, 2 from the ECC group (1.7%) and 3 from the DCC group (3.6%). No significant differences between groups were found regarding neonatal tests for COVID-19. No confirmed cases of vertical transmission were detected. The percentage of mothers who made skin-to-skin contact within the first 24 hours after delivery was significantly higher in the DCC group (84.3% versus 45.9%). Breastfeeding in the immediate postpartum period was also significantly higher in the DCC group (77.3% versus 50.2%). CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study have been similar to early cord clamping practices, no skin-to-skin contact, and suppression or delay of breastfeeding. FUNDING: This study was fully funded with public funds from the Institute of Health Carlos III and co-financed with FEDER funds. KEYWORDS: COVID-19, umbilical cord clamping, skin-to-skin, breastfeeding, vertical transmission, safety.

Mini-commentary on BJOG-20-1459.R1: Caesarean birth and risk of subsequent preterm birth: retrospective cohort studyDeclarative title to be addedBradley de VriesSchool of Public HealthUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustraliaWorldwide, preterm birth occurs in 11% of pregnancies and is the leading cause of childhood mortality. Complications from preterm birth are the most common cause of neonatal death in the United Kingdom, yet the incidence of preterm birth is not falling.In this issue of BJOG, Williams et al (BJOG xxxx) report on an observational study which identifies previous second stage caesarean birth as a risk factor for spontaneous preterm birth, confirming the results of other observational cohorts. Among women with one previous term birth, the adjusted odds ratio was 2.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3 to 3.1) for preterm birth before 37 weeks gestational age and 7.5 (95% CI 3.4 to 15) for preterm birth before 34 weeks, for previous second stage caesarean birth compared with previous vaginal birth. They adjusted for confounders not addressed in other studies including interpregnancy interval and maternal deprivation index, strengthening the existing evidence. The association is plausible because the cervix and lower uterine segment are anatomically merged in the second stage of labour and inadvertent cervical incision might damage the integrity of the cervix. The association was at least as strong as that described for previous excisional surgery for cervical dysplasia. Current National Institute of Clinical Excellence Guidelines recommend considering prophylactic cervical cerclage for an ultrasound-measured cervical length < 25mm if there is a history of cervical trauma. Given the plausibility and emerging epidemiological evidence, it would seem prudent to offer the same screening and treatment when there is a history of second stage caesarean birth.The observed association is relevant in other ways. Counselling about instrumental versus caesarean birth may be influenced by knowledge of future risks. Additionally, surgeons may need to be aware of the potential importance of avoiding inadvertent cervical incision, while still avoiding upper segment incision and its attendant risk of future intrapartum uterine rupture.The study by Williams et al is well designed, yet there remains potential for confounding not adjusted for in the analysis. Further, missing data for body mass index (1.6%) and cigarette smoking (13%) were classified as unknown and not imputed which can also cause bias. As there are only a handful of observational studies, it would be sensible to confirm the association, and explore potential causative mechanisms (e.g., by monitoring cervical length in subsequent pregnancies).Clinical prediction models for spontaneous preterm labour in asymptomatic women have been developed but need improvement before incorporation into clinical practice. Addition of new risk factors such as second stage caesarean birth and better understanding of the causes of preterm birth could improve these models and ultimately improve outcomes through offering prophylaxis with cervical cerclage, vaginal progesterone, or pessary for women at high risk.Given the massive personal, clinical, and economic burden imposed by preterm birth, the plausibility of the association, and the growing evidence from observational studies, I believe cervical surveillance warranted, with a view to offering prophylactic measures when there is a history of second stage caesarean birth.No disclosures: A completed disclosure of interest form is available to view online as supporting information.

Objective: To elucidate the correlation between sleep disturbances and blood pressure during pregnancy in women with no pre-existing hypertension. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Outpatient specialist clinics at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore. Population: Women with viable singleton pregnancies confirmed by ultrasonography at less than 14 weeks of amenorrhea at first visit. Methods: 926 subjects were recruited for this study in the outpatient specialist clinics at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, between September 1, 2010, and August 31, 2014. They were followed up throughout pregnancy with sleep quality, blood pressure and uterine artery doppler assessed at each visit. Main outcome measures: sleep quality, blood pressure and uterine artery doppler. Results: Sleep progressively worsened as pregnancy advances. Shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep efficiency were associated with higher blood pressure, especially in the first trimester. Mixed model analysis demonstrated overall positive correlation between sleep quality represented by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (p<0.001) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (p=0.005) during pregnancy after considering all trimesters. Sleep duration was found to be negatively correlated with both systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p=0.029) and DBP (p=0.002) while sleep efficiency is negatively correlated with DBP (p=0.002) only. Overall poor sleep during pregnancy was also found to be correlated to higher uterine artery pulsatility index. Conclusion: Our prospective study demonstrated that sleep quality is significantly correlated with blood pressure during pregnancy with most prominent effect in the first trimester.

Objective To examine early and late pregnancy loss in women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing IVF/ICSI transfers. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Reproductive medicine center at a tertiary hospital. Population Records were reviewed for women with a positive β-hCG after IVF/ICSI treatment from May 2014 to April 2019. Methods Odds ratios (ORs) for early (13 ≤weeks) and late (13-24 weeks) pregnancy loss were calculated among women with and without PCOS for plurality of the pregnancy with adjustment for confounding factors. Main outcomes measures Early and late pregnancy loss. Results A total of 21,820 charts identified with a positive β-hCG, 2,357 (10.8%) subjects had PCOS, and 19,463 (89.2%) controls did not. Early pregnancy loss occurred in 12.4% of women with PCOS versus 12.8% in women with non-PCOS. Women with PCOS demonstrated a higher rate of late pregnancy loss (5.4% in PCOS vs 3.1% in non-PCOS, OR 1.79, 95%CI, 1.46-2.19, P<.001), regardless of the plurality of the pregnancy (one gestational sac: 4.1 vs. 2.7 percent, OR 1.56, 95%CI,1.18-2.05; ≥ two gestational sacs: 8.1 vs. 4.1 percent, OR 2.08, 95%CI,1.54-2.82, PCOS vs. Non-PCOS, respectively). Potential negative impact of PCOS was reduced to marginal level once BMI were taken into account (aOR 1.42, 95% CI, .99-2.03). BMI and maternal comorbidities were independently associated with late pregnancy loss (aOR 1.65, 95%CI, 1.26-2.17 and aOR 2.07,95%CI,1.43-3.00). Conclusions PCOS women with overweight and preexisting comorbidities would benefit from lifestyle intervention and close surveillance throughout the whole pregnancy.

Letter to the Editor, BJOG Exchange

Dear Editor in ChiefWe read with interest “The outcome of pregnancy in women with cystic fibrosis: a UK population based descriptive study1.”  We thank the authors for this timely paper which highlights the growing need for robust clinical data capture for Cystic Fibrosis maternal and infant health.This is a rapidly expanding area of interest as the landscape of CF care is changing dramatically, particularly in the era of CFTR modulation. Clinical teams caring for people living with CF are increasingly being asked about pregnancy and potential risks to mothers and their babies. As the authors highlight data on pregnancy in CF historically has mainly been small case series from single sites carried out before CFTR modulators were widely available. The guidelines referenced are somewhat dated as the authors allude to.The authors describe the strength of the data collection in the form of the UK OSS. However, over the 24 month period only 71 cases are collected. The authors also reference around 30 -40 women with CF being pregnant per year in the UK.* We suspect that there are a significant proportion of missing cases within this study suggested by an interrogation of the UK CF Registry data. The UK CF Registry has been sponsored and hosted by the CF Trust since 2007. CF clinical care teams enter data at every specialist centre and clinic across the UK, with over 99% of people with CF consenting to their data being submitted. Data from the UK CF Registry over the time period reported by this study revealed 64, 71 and 58 women having babies in 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively. Although it is not possible to exactly match the dates (March 2015 to February 2017) described within this study to the CF registry data it is likely that there were considerably more than 71 cases in a two year period. **There remain queries regarding the clinical details of those women reported in this study. Eight of the 71 (11%) had no underlying CFTR mutation available and 51% were reported as pancreatic sufficient which is much higher than would be expected from a cohort of adults with CF in the UK. For 15 of the women included in the case series, lung function is not described.One of the main conclusions of the paper is that gestational age is highly correlated with FEV1. We find the presentation of this misleading as this is most likely the case because women with poorer lung function had pre-term caesareans or had labour induced earlier. Although this doesn’t change the correlation it may mean that it is due to the intervention.There is an ongoing UK Government funded project, CF Prosper, looking at pregnancies in women with CF using UK CF Registry and US CF Foundation registry data from 2003 to current (https://cfprosper.yolasite.com). We expect to be able to report on over 1000 pregnancies and help to delineate predictive factors for successful pregnancies and examine subsequent maternal disease trajectory after starting a family. Using the largest dataset yet available we also hope to develop a decision-making tool in conjunction with women living with CF and their clinical care teams to enable women with CF to make more informed choices regarding pregnancy and starting a family.Yours faithfully,Jamie Duckers, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, UKDaniela Schlueter, Liverpool University, UKRhiannon Phillips, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UKRebecca Cosgriff, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, UKEsan Oluwaseun, Liverpool University, UKShantini Paranjothy, Aberdeen University, UKDeni Williams, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UKRachel Norman Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, UKDavid Taylor Robinson, Liverpool University, UKSiobhan Carr, Royal Brompton Hospital, London UK1) Ashcroft A, Chapman SJ, Mackillop L. The outcome of pregnancy in women with cystic fibrosis: a UK population-based descriptive study. BJOG. 2020 Jul 19. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.16423. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32683738.*There appears to be an error in the referencing numbering within the article as no reference 13 exists**Details on how to request data from the UK CF Registry are available via www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/registry

Dear Editor, We really appreciate MN van IJsselmuiden et al. for their efforts in conducting the first ever multicenter randomized controlled trial to compare laparoscopic sacrohysteropexy (LSH) with sacrospinous hysteropexy (SSHP).1 However, I have some questions regarding the methodology and results of this trial. What are the reasons for including patients with histories of previous pelvic floor or prolapse surgery in the exclusion criteria? Would randomly and equally allocating these patients into two surgical groups affect the study result or design? Nevertheless, we are really interested in the conduct of anterior or posterior colporrhaphy through the laparoscopic method.Patients presented with anterior vaginal wall prolapse are higher in number: POP-Q stage- Aa or Ba > 0 (LSH group:81%; SSHP group:72.6%) than those presented with apical prolapse (LSH group:46.6%; SSHP:45.6%) in Table 1. The majority of study population appears to have combined anterior and apical compartment prolapse rather than apical prolapse alone. Furthermore, Table 2 shows that the overall anterior compartment failure rates are 50.9% and 56.9% in the LSH and SSHP groups, respectively, in a 1 year follow-up interval. The failure rate is extraordinarily high compared with that in a previous study.2 Hysteropexy surgery is beneficial for patients with apical prolapse. It is not beneficial for patients with combined anterior and apical compartment prolapse with prominent cystocele. Most patients are satisfied with the 1 year surgical results and would recommend surgery to someone else (LSH: 87.7%; SSHP: 89.7%) despite the high recurrence rate of anterior wall prolapse in a 1 year follow-up.In the statistical analysis section, additional anterior vaginal wall repairs are significantly higher in the SSHP group than those in the LSH group (SSHP: n = 61, 98.4%; LSH: n = 55, 85.9%, P = 0.010). I would like to know how this small number difference (61 − 55 = 6) in these groups can cause significant difference in P value and how this P value is calculated. This trial assumes a failure rate of 3% on the basis of the outcomes of SSHP in a previous prospective study. However, the data population is relatively small, and the non-inferiority margin was set at 10%.The primary outcome is defined as a composite outcome of the surgical failure of the apical compartment after 12 months of follow-up and as the recurrence of uterine prolapse (POP-Q ≥ stage 2). Surgical success is defined as the absence of prolapse beyond the hymen. In the POP-Q stage system, POP-Q stage 2 is defined as the most distal prolapse between 1 cm above and 1 cm beyond the hymen.3 The most prominent prolapse, which descends beyond hymen, is the stage 2 prolapse. It elicits clinical controversy and conflicts with regard to the definitions of surgical failure and success. We hope that this letter will deliver the message that precise preoperative patient selection and study design are crucial, as they may have substantial impacts on clinical outcomes and treatment success.Min-syuan Huang,2, 3 Zi-Xi Loo,1Kun- Ling Lin,1, 2 Cheng-Yu Long1, 21 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan2 Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan3 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kuo General Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan