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Objective: Uterine fibroids increase the risk of preterm birth. The current study highlights uterine fibroid necrosis as a possible cause of (extreme) preterm birth., Study Design: Retrospective cohort study in one Dutch academic hospital. Cases were selected from the 526 participants of the MyoFert study (Netherlands Trial Register, NL7990), which included patients who presented between 2004 and 2018 and were between the age of 18 and 45 years at the time of diagnosis of uterine fibroids. Of these participants, 414 women became pregnant. A retrospective chart review of the first pregnancies was performed. The main outcomes were (imminent) preterm birth and signs of fibroid necrosis on ultrasound. In women with signs of fibroid necrosis, the following data were collected systematically: fibroid characteristics, clinical presentation, pregnancy outcome, and postpartum period., Results: In total, 66 women had a preterm birth (16 %, 66/414), of which 25 pregnancies ended between 16 and <24 weeks (38 %, 25/66) and 41 pregnancies ended between 24 and <37 weeks of gestation (62 %, 41/66). Of all women with preterm birth and available ultrasound images, 15 % (7/48) had fibroid necrosis at the time of labour. These seven patients, supplemented with three patients with fibroid necrosis during their first pregnancy and at least one episode of imminent preterm birth, are described in more detail. In these ten patients, the fibroids increased substantially in size during the first and second trimester, leading to severe abdominal pain in all patients and hospital admission in seven patients. Ultrasound examination of the fibroids showed heterogenic changes and focal transonic areas in the fibroid, which are characteristics that indicate fibroid necrosis. In four patients, myomectomy was performed and necrosis was confirmed histologically., Conclusion: Fibroid necrosis during pregnancy is likely associated with (imminent) preterm birth. Clinicians are advised to structurally evaluate the myometrium in pregnancy, specifically in women presenting with abdominal pain in the second trimester., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one cause of death in women and defining its risk factors is necessary to reduce its prevalence. A history of preeclampsia is shown to be associated with hypertension and alterations in left ventricular (LV) diastolic function parameters. Because of overlapping mechanisms between preeclampsia and spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB), our most recent study investigated the association between SPTB and hypertension, and found an almost 2 times higher prevalence of hypertension after SPTB. No previous studies have focused on the association between SPTB and LV diastolic function. The aim of this study is to investigate LV diastolic function as potential early parameter of CVD in women with a history of SPTB., Study Design: We included cases with a history of SPTB between 22 and 37 weeks and controls who had a term birth. Women with hypertensive disorders or gestational diabetes in any of their pregnancies, were excluded. Both groups underwent cardiovascular risk assessment and transthoracic echocardiography 9 to 16 years after pregnancy. Echocardiographic measures were adjusted using a linear regression analysis accounting for hypertension and other risk factors known to be associated with CVD. A subgroup analysis was performed based on hypertension at follow-up., Results: A total of 94 cases and 94 controls were included, on average 13 years after pregnancy. There were no significant differences in LV diastolic function parameters. Women with a history of SPTB and diagnosed hypertension at follow-up, showed significant higher late diastolic mitral flow velocity, lower e'septal velocity and higher E/e'ratio, compared to women with a history of SPTB without hypertension, although within normal ranges., Conclusions: When a history of SPTB is accompanied by hypertension at follow-up, significant changes in LV diastolic function were seen. Therefore, hypertension is the central factor in preventive screening methods, and transthoracic echocardiography has no additional value at this follow-up duration., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To assess differences in adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes before and after closure of a secondary obstetric care unit of a community hospital in an urban district., Study Design: Retrospective cohort study using aggregated data from National Perinatal Registry of the Netherlands (PERINED) in the very urban region of Amsterdam, consisting of data of five secondary and two tertiary hospitals. We assessed maternal and neonatal outcomes in singleton hospital births between 24 +0 weeks of gestational age (GA) up to 42 +6 weeks. Data of 78.613 births were stratified in two groups: before closure (years 2012-2015) and after closure (2016-2019)., Results: Perinatal mortality decreased significantly from 0.84 % to 0.63 % (p = 0.0009). The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of the closure on perinatal mortality was 0.73 (95 % CI 0.62-0.87). Both antepartum death (0.46 % vs 0.36 %, p = 0.02) and early neonatal death (0.38 % vs 0.28 %, p = 0.015) declined after closure of the hospital. The number of preterm births decreased significantly (8.7 % vs 8.1 %, p=<0.007) as well as number of neonates with congenital abnormalities (3.2 % vs2.2 %, p=<0.0001). APGAR < 7 after 5 min increased (2.3 % vs 2.5 %, p = 0.04). There was no significant difference in SGA or NICU admission. Postpartum hemorrhage increased significantly from 7.7 % to 8.2 % (p=<0.003). Perinatal mortality from 32 weeks onwards was not significantly different after closure 0.29 % to 0.27 %., Conclusions: After closure of an obstetric unit in a community hospital in Amsterdam, there was a significant decrease in perinatal, intrapartum and early neonatal mortality in neonates born from 24 +0 onwards. The mortality decrease coincides with a reduction of preterm deliveries. The increasing trend in asphyxia and postpartum hemorrhage is of concern.. Centralization of care and increasing birth volume per hospital may lead to improvement of quality of care. A broad integrated, multidisciplinary maternity healthcare system linked with the social domain can achieve health gains in maternity care for all women., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To develop and internally validate a prognostic prediction model for development of a niche in the uterine scar after a first caesarean section (CS)., Study Design: Secondary analyses on data of a randomized controlled trial, performed in 32 hospitals in the Netherlands among women undergoing a first caesarean section. We used multivariable backward logistic regression. Missing data were handled using multiple imputation. Model performance was assessed by calibration and discrimination. Internal validation using bootstrapping techniques took place. The outcome was 'development of a niche in the uterus', defined as an indentation of ≥ 2 mm in the myometrium., Results: We developed two models to predict niche development: in the total population and after elective CS. Patient related risk factors were: gestational age, twin pregnancy and smoking, and surgery related risk factors were double-layer closure and less surgical experience. Multiparity and Vicryl suture material were protective factors. The prediction model in women undergoing elective CS revealed similar results. After internal validation, Nagelkerke R 2 ranged from 0.01 to 0.05 and was considered low; median area under the curve (AUC) ranged from 0.56 to 0.62, indicating failed to poor discriminative ability., Conclusions: The model cannot be used to accurately predict the development of a niche after a first CS. However, several factors seem to influence scar healing which indicates possibilities for future prevention such as surgical experience and suture material. The search for additional risk factors that play a role in development of a niche should be continued to improve the discriminative ability., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Judith Huirne received a grant from ZonMw for the conduction of the study; she received a grant from Samsung, PlantTec, and a fee from Olympus, all outside the submitted work. Christianne de Groot received a grant from ZonMw outside the submitted work. The remaining authors report no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To assess the association between asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) and short cervical length (CL), since they are both associated with preterm delivery., Study Design: In two prospective multicentre cohort studies, pregnant women were screened for the presence of ASB and short CL (≤25 mm). We compared CL in women with and without ASB. Both studies had a small randomised clinical trial embedded., Results: Our study population comprised 1 610 women, of whom 114 were ASB positive. Median cervical length was similar in women with and without ASB (44.0 vs 44.0 mm, P = 0.60). More women in the ASB positive group had a short CL compared to the ASB negative group (1.8 % versus 0.4 %, P = 0.047)). The gestational age at delivery did not differ between the groups (ranging from 38 + 3 in women with ASB and short CL to 39 + 5 in women without ASB with a short CL P = 0.52). No preterm births occurred in women with a short cervical length (regardless of ASB status). In the women without ASB and no short CL 4.8 % had a preterm birth, in the women with ASB but not a short CL 4.1 % had a preterm birth., Conclusion: While ASB status did not influence median cervical length, we found a significant relationship between a short CL and ASB positive women. We found no statistical significant difference on the preterm birth rate and mean gestational age., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) the first year after laparoscopic niche resection., Study Design: Prospective cohort study in women with a large niche (residual myometrium thickness <3.0 mm) after caesarean section who underwent laparoscopic niche resection between May 2010 and January 2018. Women were included consecutively. 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) was sent at baseline, three and twelve months postoperatively. All participants that filled out the questionnaire at baseline were included. Physical (PCS) and mental component summary scores (MCS) and scores for subdomains were calculated. Scores were analysed over time using Wilcoxon signed rank test., Results: 146 participants responded to the SF-36 at baseline, of which 129 (88.4 %) responded at three or twelve months follow-up. After three months, median PCS and MCS improved, compared to baseline (p = 0.014 and p = 0.008, respectively). Subdomains physical functioning, bodily pain, general health, vitality, mental health and social functioning improved significantly. At twelve months follow-up, improvement in PCS and MCS did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.053 and p = 0.063, respectively). Subdomains bodily pain (77.6-89.8, p < 0.001), mental health (76-80, p = 0.004) and social functioning (75-87.5, p = 0.016) improved significantly. Women with symptom relief as main goal of the intervention showed larger improvement in PCS than women with distorted anatomy and to restore anatomy as main goal for the intervention (p = 0.001)., Conclusion: Laparoscopic niche resection improves HRQOL in women with a large niche in physical and mental domains three and twelve months postoperatively., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To assess agreement of Doppler ultrasound measurements of the two umbilical arteries in small-for gestational age (SGA) fetuses, and to compare discriminative ability between the two arteries for adverse perinatal outcome., Study Design: We analysed a prospective cohort of singleton SGA pregnancies, in which the pulsatility index (PI) of both umbilical arteries was standardly measured by Doppler ultrasound in the free-floating umbilical cord. The outcome of interest was a composite adverse outcome, defined as perinatal death, Apgar score <7 at 5 min, cesarean section for fetal distress, and neonatal intensive care unit admission., Results: A total of 531 measurements were performed in 124 patients. Mean absolute difference between PI measured in the two umbilical arteries was 0.14 (95% CI: 0.12 to 0.15), showing good agreement with an ICC of 0.830 (95% CI: 0.801 to 0.854). Perinatal outcomes were available for 101 patients, of which 48 patients (48%) had a composite adverse perinatal outcome. We found no significant differences between AUCs for prediction of an adverse outcome based on lowest, highest and mean PI values in the two umbilical arteries (AUCs = 0.75, 0.74, 0.75 with p = 0.91). As a comparison, the AUC of a PI value obtained in a single, randomly selected umbilical artery was 0.74., Conclusion: The two umbilical arteries show good agreement in terms of their PI values in the free-floating umbilical cord, and do not differ in terms of their discriminative ability for adverse perinatal outcome in SGA fetuses. We found no evidence of an added value of standard Doppler measurement of both umbilical arteries., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To assess the risk of sPTB and iPTB in women with three consecutive singleton pregnancies and the impact of the outcome of the 1st and 2nd pregnancy on the (recurrent) PTB risk in the 3rd pregnancy., Study Design: A nationwide retrospective cohort study using the population based longitudinal linked dataset of the Netherlands. We included all nulliparous women with three consecutive singleton pregnancies ending between 22 and 44 weeks of gestation between 1999 and 2009. We excluded congenital abnormalities and stillbirths. We compared the incidence of sPTB and iPTB in the three pregnancies (<37, <34 and <30 weeks). Logistic regression analysis was performed to predict PTB in the 3rd pregnancy, adjusting for maternal age, fetal gender, socio-economic status, hypertension, interpregnancy interval, artificial reproductive technology, and small for gestational age. Analyses were also performed stratified by prior PTB subtype, gestational age and combined outcome of the 1st and 2nd pregnancy., Results: We studied 52,978 women. PTB occurred in 7.0%, 3.7% and 3.4% in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd pregnancy, respectively. The outcome of the 2nd pregnancy is more predictive for PTB in the 3rd pregnancy then the outcome of the 1st pregnancy (sPTB aOR7.3 (95%CI 6.3-8.4) and iPTB (aOR 5.9 (95% CI 4.5-7.9) in 2nd pregnancy vs. sPTB aOR 3.0 (95% CI 2.6-3.4) and iPTB aOR 2.7 (95% CI 2.1-3.4) in the 1st pregnancy). In the prediction of sPTB in the 3rd pregnancy, sPTB in the 2nd pregnancy is most predictive (aOR8.2 (95% CI 7.1-9.6) and for prediction iPTB in the 3rd pregnancy, iPTB in the 2nd pregnancy is most predictive (aOR12.1 (95% CI 8.5-17.2)., Conclusion: We studied a population with three subsequent singleton deliveries within 10 year. The incidence of PTB decreased with 50% from the 1st to the 2nd pregnancy, to then stay relative stable in the 3rd pregnancy. Compared to PTB in the 1st pregnancy, PTB in the 2nd pregnancy is more predictive for the occurrence of PTB in the 3rd pregnancy., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate frequency and practise of termination of pregnancy for early-onset hypertensive disorders where the fetus is considered to be non-viable., Study Design: Retrospective cohort study in all Dutch tertiary perinatal care centres (n=10), between January 2000 and January 2014. All women who underwent termination of pregnancy, without fetal surveillance or intention to intervene for fetal reasons, for early-onset hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, were analyzed. Women eligible for this study were identified in the local delivery databases. Medical records were used to collect relevant data., Results: Between January 2000 and January 2014, 2,456,584 women delivered in The Netherlands, of which 238,448 (9.7%) in a tertiary care centre. A total of 161 pregnancy terminations (11-12 per year) for severe early-onset preeclampsia were identified, including 6 women with a twin pregnancy. Mean gestational age at termination was 172 days (GA 24 4/7 )±9.4 days. In 70% of cases termination was performed at or shortly after 24 weeks' gestation. 74.5% of women developed HELLP syndrome (n=96), eclampsia (n=10) or needed admission to an ICU (n=14). Birth weight was below 500g in 64% of cases. In 69% of the cases the estimated fetal weight was within a 10% margin of the actual birth weight., Conclusion: Termination of pregnancy for early-onset hypertensive disorders without intervention for fetal indication occurs approximately 12 times per year in The Netherlands. More data are needed to investigate contemporary best practice regarding termination of pregnancy for early-onset hypertensive indications at the limits of fetal viability. Considering the frequency of maternal complications, termination of pregnancy and not expectant management should be considered for all women presenting with severe early onset hypertensive disorders at the limits of fetal viability., (Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The use of antidepressants in pregnancy is increasing. Concerns have risen about the use of antidepressants during pregnancy and the risk of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). The aim of this systematic review is to summarize evidence on the association between use of antidepressants during pregnancy and the risk of PPH. An Embase and Pubmed search was conducted. English and Dutch language studies reporting original data regarding bleeding after delivery associated with exposure to antidepressants during pregnancy were selected. Quality appraisal was conducted using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS). Out of 81 citations, 4 studies were included. Based on the NOS, 3 were considered of good quality and 1 was considered of satisfactory quality. Two studies reported an increased incidence of PPH in women who used antidepressants during pregnancy. The other two studies identified no overall increased risk of PPH among pregnant women exposed to antidepressants. The existing evidence remains inconclusive whether use of antidepressants during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of postpartum hemorrhage. If there is such an association the absolute increased risk will be low and the clinical relevance needs to be further examined., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The Disproportionate Intrauterine Growth Intervention Trial at Term (DIGITAT trial) showed that in women with suspected intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) at term, there were no substantial outcome differences between induction of labour and expectant monitoring. The objective of the present analysis is to evaluate whether maternal or fetal markers could identify IUGR fetuses who would benefit from early labour induction., Study Design: The DIGITAT trial was a multicenter, parallel and open-label randomised controlled trial in women who had a singleton pregnancy beyond 36+0 weeks' gestation with suspected IUGR (n=650). Women had been randomly allocated to either labour induction or expectant monitoring. The primary outcome was a composite measure of adverse neonatal outcome, defined as neonatal death before hospital discharge, Apgar score <7, umbilical artery pH <7.05, or admission to neonatal intensive care. Using logistic regression modelling, we investigated associations between outcome and 17 markers, maternal characteristics and fetal sonographic and Doppler velocimetry measurements, all collected at study entry., Results: 17 (5.3%) infants in the induction group had an adverse neonatal outcome compared to 20 (6.1%) in the expectant monitoring group. The only potentially informative marker for inducing labour was maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI). Otherwise, we observed at best weak associations between a benefit from labour induction and maternal age, ethnicity, smoking, parity, pregnancy-induced hypertension or preeclampsia, Bishop score and gestational age, or fetal sonographic markers (gender, estimated fetal weight, body measurements, oligohydramnios, or umbilical artery pulsatility index and end diastolic flow)., Conclusion: In late preterm and term pregnancies complicated by suspected intrauterine growth restriction, most of the known prognostic markers seem unlikely to be helpful in identifying women who could benefit from labour induction, except for maternal pre-pregnancy BMI., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women in the western world. Several studies have described the association between hypertensive pregnancy disorders and CVD in later life. Our aim was to compare postpartum cardiovascular risk factors in women who had a shorter and women who had a longer exposure to endothelial activation during their term hypertensive pregnancy., Study Design: We studied a subsample of women with pregnancy-induced hypertension or mild preeclampsia at term, who had participated in the randomized HYPITAT trial comparing induction of labour (IOL cohort) (n=110) or expectant monitoring (EM cohort) (n = 91). We assessed, 2.5 years postpartum, cardiovascular risk factors, i.e. blood pressure, anthropometrics, glucose, HbA1C, insulin, HOMA score, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, high sensitive CRP, micro-albumin and metabolic syndrome, and compared these risk factors between the induction and expectant groups., Results: The mean time from randomization to delivery was 3.3 days in the induction group and 10.3 days in the expectant group (p<.001), generating a difference in exposure of 7 days. After a mean follow-up period of 2.5 years, the prevalence of hypertension (IOL 34%; EM 37%, p = .66) and metabolic syndrome (IOL 26%; EM 27%, p = 1.0) was similar in both groups. Furthermore, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, BMI, waist circumference, glucose, HbA1C, insulin, HOMA score, lipids, HsCRP-levels and micro-albumin were all comparable between women who had induction of labour and those who had expectant monitoring., Conclusion: In women with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy at term, induction of labour does not affect the clinical and biochemical cardiovascular profile at 2.5 years postpartum., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To study subsequent pregnancy outcome in women with severe, very early onset preeclampsia (onset before 24 weeks' gestation) and to analyze cardiovascular risk profiles of these women and their partners., Study Design: Twenty women with preeclampsia with an onset before 24 weeks' gestation, admitted between 1 January 1993 and 31 December 2002 at a tertiary university referral center, were enrolled in the study. Data on subsequent pregnancies were obtained from medical records. Their cardiovascular risk profiles and those of their partners (n=15) were compared with those of 20 control women after uncomplicated pregnancies only, matched for age and parity, and those of their partners (n=13). Body weight, height, waist and hip circumference, blood pressure and intima media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery were measured. Fasted blood samples were drawn for detection of metabolic cardiovascular risk factors., Results: Of the 20 case women 17 women had 24 subsequent pregnancies, of which 12 (50%) were complicated by preeclampsia. Severe preeclampsia developed in five (21%) pregnancies. No perinatal deaths occurred. Case women had significantly more often chronic hypertension as compared to controls (55% vs. 10%, P=0.002). IMT of the common carotid artery was increased in a subset of case women using antihypertensive medication (P=0.03). Case women showed increased microalbuminuria (P<0.05). No differences were found in cardiovascular risk profiles between partners of cases and controls., Conclusions: Women with severe, very early onset preeclampsia have an increased risk of preeclampsia in future pregnancies, yet neonatal outcome is, in general, favourable. Regarding cardiovascular health, women after severe, very early onset preeclampsia exhibit more risk factors compared to controls whereas men who fathered these pregnancies do not.

Background: Haemostasis is a complex balance of activating and inhibitory pathways resulting in coagulation and lysis. Normal pregnancy is associated with hypercoagulation that is even more profound in complicated pregnancies., Objective: To study the role of the plasminogen-activator system in complicated pregnancy with regard to haemostasis, it is essential to have reference values of components of this system during uneventful pregnancy. In this study we investigated the concentrations of six different components of the plasminogen-activator system preconceptionally, during and after uncomplicated pregnancies., Material and Methods: Tissue-type and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (tPA and uPA), plasminogen inhibitor type-1 and -2 (PAI-1 and-2), and the complexes between tPA and PAI-1, and between uPA and PAI-1 (tPA-PAI-1, uPA-PAI-1) were measured by ELISAs in blood obtained preconceptionally, at 6, 10, 20, 32 weeks of gestation, and 6 weeks after delivery in uncomplicated pregnancies (n=41; all six parameters n=22)., Results: tPA and uPA concentrations decreased in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy and subsequently increased in the third trimester. PAI-1 concentrations increased in the third trimester and PAI-2 concentrations increased throughout pregnancy (preconception versus 32 weeks of gestation; 38.73 versus 102.23ng/ml, and 0.024 versus 151.06ng/ml, respectively). tPA-PAI-1 and uPA-PAI-1 complex concentrations decreased in the first trimester, followed by an increase in the third trimester. The concentrations of all components returned to the preconception values 6 weeks after delivery., Conclusion: This study provides longitudinal data on activating and inhibitory components of the plasminogen-activator system during pregnancy. Insight in the longitudinal changes in these concentrations may be of help in the understanding of the thrombotic tendency in pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia.

Objective: Preeclampsia, with an onset before 24 weeks' gestation is a rare but severe condition in pregnancy with little data of maternal and perinatal outcome, particularly after expectant management. We therefore, evaluated pregnancy outcome in these women at our department where temporising management was introduced as the standard policy in early onset preeclampsia., Study Design: We analysed retrospectively all consecutive women with preeclampsia, with an onset before 24 weeks' gestation, between 1 January 1993 and 31 December 2002 at a tertiary university referral center., Results: Twenty-six pregnancies, of which two were twin pregnancies, resulted in 65% of the women in at least one major maternal complication: maternal death (n=1), HELLP syndrome (n=16), eclampsia (n=5) and pulmonary edema (n=4). Thirty percent of these women presented already with serious morbidity at admission. The median prolongation of the pregnancy was 24 days (range 3-46 days). The overall perinatal mortality was 82%: 19 fetal deaths and 4 neonatal deaths., Conclusion: Early onset preeclampsia, with an onset before 24 weeks' gestation, results in considerable maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Therefore, expectant management should not be considered as a routine treatment option in these patients.

Seizures in pregnancy are a life-threatening emergency that continues to be a major cause of serious maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. We report a rare cause of new onset of seizures in pregnancy: hydrocephalus caused by aqueductal stenosis. The differential diagnosis of seizures in pregnancy is discussed in detail.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that abnormal placentation resulting in intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) is associated with coagulation abnormalities in the fetus., Study Design: We analyzed fetal DNA from umbilical cords from 139 pregnancies complicated by intrauterine fetal death during 1994-1998 (cases). Fetal DNA was tested for the presence of factor V Leiden and prothrombin G20210A mutations. The prevalence of these thrombophilic mutations among cases were compared with the prevalence in a historic control group., Results: Overall, a higher prevalence of fetal genetic risk factors was found in cases (9.8%) as compared to fetuses born from an uncomplicated pregnancy (2%, odds ratio 4.8, 95% CI 1.1-22). Second trimester intrauterine fetal death occurred more frequently in cases with the factor V Leiden mutation as compared with the control group (8/64 versus 0/92). For intrauterine fetal death and factor V Leiden a high risk was found concerning abruption placentae (odds ratio 7.6, 95% CI 1.5-37)., Conclusion: The prevalence of fetal genetic risk factors associated with an increased risk for thrombosis was higher in pregnancies complicated by intrauterine fetal death suggesting an important role of abnormal coagulation in placentation.

Objective: Several studies have suggested a relation between calcium intake and preeclampsia. In this study, we test the hypothesis that a low calcium intake by milk products increases the risk of developing preeclampsia in The Netherlands, a country where milk consumption is assumed to be high., Study Design: We conducted a case-control study of 163 women with preeclampsia during 1991-1996. Controls were matched for age and delivery date. Data from cases and controls were obtained by questionnaire., Results: The mean milk consumption per day was higher in the control group (3.0+/-0.1 units per day) than in the preeclampsia group (2.4+/-0.1 units per day, P<0.01). There was no difference in calcium intake by tablets: eight women (9.4%) with preeclampsia and seven controls (9.3%) used calcium tablets., Conclusions: This study shows an increased risk of developing preeclampsia associated with lower milk intake.