Medical Complications in Pregnancy

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen W. Seely ◽  
Jeffrey L. Ecker

Medical complications and intercurrent disease have long presented challenges to obstetricians and other medical providers caring for pregnant women. Contemporary medical practice and treatments have only added to these challenges. Advances in disease management mean that patients with some conditions (e.g., cystic fibrosis) whose life expectancies in the past would have precluded pregnancy are now living to reproductive age. Furthermore, treatments to restore fertility allow the barrier of age, as well as anatomic and genetic barriers, to be surmounted. All of these advances emphasize the need for careful and considered collaboration between clinicians caring for women of reproductive age who are not pregnant and those who care for them during pregnancy. This review discusses pregnancy planning and counseling, principles of teratogenesis, physiologic changes in pregnancy, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, thrombophilia, asthma, infectious diseases, renal disease, autoimmune diseases, cancer, neurologic diseases, substance use, intrahepatic cholestasis, and pregnancy-specific conditions. Tables list elements of preconception care and counseling, the Food and Drug Administration drug classification system for pregnancy, selected drugs with suspected or known teratogenic potential, and physiologic changes of pregnancy. This review contains 15 tables and 83 references. Key Words: Headache, maternal mortality, obstetric medicine, pregnancy, pulmonary embolism

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen W. Seely ◽  
Jeffrey L. Ecker

Medical complications and intercurrent disease have long presented challenges to obstetricians and other medical providers caring for pregnant women. Contemporary medical practice and treatments have only added to these challenges. Advances in disease management mean that patients with some conditions (e.g., cystic fibrosis) whose life expectancies in the past would have precluded pregnancy are now living to reproductive age. Furthermore, treatments to restore fertility allow the barrier of age, as well as anatomic and genetic barriers, to be surmounted. All of these advances emphasize the need for careful and considered collaboration between clinicians caring for women of reproductive age who are not pregnant and those who care for them during pregnancy. This review discusses pregnancy planning and counseling, principles of teratogenesis, physiologic changes in pregnancy, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, thrombophilia, asthma, infectious diseases, renal disease, autoimmune diseases, cancer, neurologic diseases, substance use, intrahepatic cholestasis, and pregnancy-specific conditions. Tables list elements of preconception care and counseling, the Food and Drug Administration drug classification system for pregnancy, selected drugs with suspected or known teratogenic potential, and physiologic changes of pregnancy. This review contains 15 tables and 83 references. Key Words: Headache, maternal mortality, obstetric medicine, pregnancy, pulmonary embolism


2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 225-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Ghaemmaghami ◽  
M. Hasanzadeh

Gynecologic malignancies frequently occur in women of reproductive age and are estimated to complicate 1 in 1000 pregnancies. Cancer diagnosis may be delayed because of difficulties in distinguishing symptoms from physiologic changes in pregnancy. Another problem is applying the standard workup in pregnant women. These reports describe the good fetal outcome of pregnancies in patients with vulvar and ovarian carcinoma. Patients underwent multimodality treatment, and their infants were developmentally normal. Vulvar and ovarian cancer is a rare finding in pregnancy. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment offer the best prognosis. Aggressive postoperative chemotherapy also continues to better the outcome.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 168-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
JM Milln ◽  
A Nakimuli

Introduction Medical complications in pregnancy contribute significantly to maternal morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa. Anecdotally, obstetricians in Uganda do not feel equipped to treat complex medical cases, and receive little support from physicians. Methods The aim of the study was to quantify the burden of complex medical conditions on the obstetric high dependency unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital, and potential deficiencies in the referral of cases and training in obstetric medicine. A prospective audit was taken on the obstetric high dependency unit from April to May 2014. In addition, 50 trainees in obstetrics and gynaecology filled a nine-point questionnaire regarding their experiences. Results Complex medical disorders of pregnancy accounted for 22/106 (21%) admissions to the high dependency unit, and these cases were responsible for 51% of total bed occupancy, and had a case fatality rate of 6/22 (27.2%). Only 6/14 (43%) of referrals to medical specialties were fulfilled within 48 h. Of the six women who died due to medical conditions, three specialty referrals were made, none of which were fulfilled. Trainees reported deficiencies in obstetric medicine training and in referral of complex conditions. They were least confident addressing non-communicable conditions in pregnancy. Discussion Deficiencies exist in the care of women with complex medical conditions in pregnancy in Uganda. Frameworks of obstetric medicine training and referral of complex cases should be explored and adapted to the sub-Saharan African setting.


2018 ◽  
Vol 03 (02/03) ◽  
pp. 155-160
Author(s):  
Donepudi Aruna ◽  
Mekala Padmaja

AbstractHeart disease complicating pregnancy is an indirect cause of maternal mortality and its incidence in India is 1 to 4%. Cardiac disease in pregnant women is most commonly due to rheumatic heart disease (RHD), congestive heart failure, and less commonly due to ischemic heart disease or cardiomyopathy. Though the frequency of RHD has decreased worldwide, it is still predominant in developing countries such as India. Around 15 to 52% of cardiac abnormalities first diagnosed during routine antenatal checkups or due to the signs and symptoms caused by physiologic changes of pregnancy. The most common clinical features of cardiac lesions such as breathlessness, pedal edema, and murmurs that mimic normal physiologic changes in pregnancy pose a diagnostic difficulty for obstetricians.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno F. Sunguya ◽  
Yue Ge ◽  
Linda Mlunde ◽  
Rose Mpembeni ◽  
Germana Leyna ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Anemia in pregnancy is behind a significant burden of maternal mortality and poor birth outcomes globally. Efforts to address it need evidence on trends and its pertinent factors as they vary from one area to another. Methods We pooled data of 23,203 women of reproductive age whose hemoglobin levels were measured from two Tanzania Demographic and Health Surveys (TDHS). Of them, 2,194 women were pregnant. Analyses employed descriptive analyses to determine the burden of anemia, its characteristics, and severity; GIS mapping to determine the regional changes of anemia between 2005 and 2015; and logistic regression to determine the remaining determinants of anemia among pregnant women using Stata 15. Results The burden of anemia among pregnant women in Tanzania has remained unprecedently high, and varies between regions. There was no significant decline of anemia in general between the two periods after adjusting for individual, households, reproductive, and child characteristics [AOR = 0.964, 95% CI = 0.774–1.202, p = 0.747). Anemia is currently prevalent in 57% of pregnant women in Tanzania. The prevalence is more likely to be higher among women aged 15–19 years than those aged between 20–34 years. It is more likely to be prevalent among those within large families, with no formal education, food insecurity, lack of health insurance, had no antimalaria during pregnancy, and had low frequency of ANC attendance. On the other hand, delivery in a health facility may be potentially protective against anemia. Conclusions Anemia in pregnancy remained persistently high and prevalent among 57% of pregnant women in Tanzania. Efforts to address anemia are crucial and need to be focused in regions with increasing burden of anemia among pregnant women. It is imperative to address important risk factors such as food insecurity, strengthening universal health coverage, empowering women of reproductive age with education and especially nutritional knowledge and advocating for early antenatal booking, attendance, and facility delivery.


2021 ◽  
pp. 141-146
Author(s):  
Reda Youssef ◽  
Gamal Sayed Ahmed ◽  
Samir Alhyassat ◽  
Sanaa Badr ◽  
Ahmed Sabry ◽  
...  

Dysgerminoma is an uncommon malignant tumor arising from the germ cells of the ovary. Its association with pregnancy is extremely rare, with a reported incidence of about 0.2–1 per 100,000 pregnancies. Women in the reproductive age group are more commonly affected. It can be extremely rare to conceive naturally, without assisted reproductive interventions, in cases with ovarian dysgerminoma. If a pregnancy does occur with a concurrent dysgerminoma, it is even more unusual to carry the pregnancy to viability or childbirth without fetal or maternal compromise. We report a case of right ovarian dysgerminoma in a young female with a viable intrauterine pregnancy at 10 weeks, which is rarely diagnosed and managed at this gestational age. Numerous factors played a role in her favorable outcome, including early suspicion by ultrasound and presenting history, surgery, histopathological assessment, imaging, and involvement of the multidisciplinary oncology team. Ovarian neoplasms may rapidly increase in size within a short period with little or no symptoms. This poses a diagnostic challenge for obstetricians and oncologists. Hence, we aimed to evaluate the role of imaging in pregnancy using ultrasound as an imaging modality for both early detection of ovarian neoplasms and for follow-up. In conclusion, patients with ovarian dysgerminoma in pregnancy can have favorable outcomes. Treatment should be individualized on a case-to-case basis, depending on many factors; cancer stage, previous reproductive history, the impact of imaging in staging or follow-up of tumor on the fetus, fetal gestational age, and whether termination of the pregnancy can improve survival or morbidity for the mother.


Author(s):  
Clara Pons-Duran ◽  
Mireia Llach ◽  
Charfudin Sacoor ◽  
Sergi Sanz ◽  
Eusebio Macete ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is a key malaria prevention strategy in areas with moderate to high transmission. As part of the TIPTOP (Transforming IPT for Optimal Pregnancy) project, baseline information about IPTp coverage was collected in eight districts from four sub-Saharan countries: Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Madagascar, Mozambique and Nigeria. Methods Cross-sectional household surveys were conducted using a multistage cluster sampling design to estimate the coverage of IPTp and antenatal care attendance. Eligible participants were women of reproductive age who had ended a pregnancy in the 12 months preceding the interview and who had resided in the selected household during at least the past 4 months of pregnancy. Coverage was calculated using percentages and 95% confidence intervals. Results A total of 3911 women were interviewed from March to October 2018. Coverage of at least three doses of IPTp (IPTp3+) was 22% and 24% in DRC project districts; 23% and 12% in Madagascar districts; 11% and 16% in Nigeria local government areas; and 63% and 34% in Mozambique districts. In DRC, Madagascar and Nigeria, more than two-thirds of women attending at least four antenatal care visits during pregnancy received less than three doses of IPTp. Conclusions The IPTp3+ uptake in the survey districts was far from the universal coverage. However, one of the study districts in Mozambique showed a much higher coverage of IPTp3+ than the other areas, which was also higher than the 2018 average national coverage of 41%. The reasons for the high IPTp3+ coverage in this Mozambican district are unclear and require further study.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vislava Globevnik Velikonja ◽  
Miha Lučovnik ◽  
Tanja Premru Sršen ◽  
Vesna Leskošek ◽  
Megie Krajnc ◽  
...  

AbstractObjective:To investigate the relationships among different forms of violence before and during pregnancy.Material and methods:An anonymous questionnaire (adapted NorAQ) was given to 1269 women after childbirth.Results:The response rate was 80% (n=1018). Different forms of violence were experienced by 46.9% of the women; 9.2% reported violence in pregnancy. Suffering from the consequences of violence was reported by 43.8% of the women; sexual (76.6%) and psychological (54.1%) ranked the highest. Past experience of any form of violence increased the risk of violence in pregnancy, violences experienced in adulthood even more than that in childhood [odds ratio (OR) 4.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.7–6.5 vs. OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2–2.9]. The onset of violence during pregnancy is rare. Violence was most frequently exerted by the intimate partner.Conclusion:Healthcare systems have access to most women of reproductive age, thus they have the unique opportunity to identify and adequately manage violence against women and its consequences.


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