OBJECTIVE: Counseling of pregnancies complicated by pre- and periviable premature rupture of membranes to reach shared decision-making is challenging, and the current limited evidence hampers the robustness of the information provided. This study aimed to elucidate the rate of obstetrical and neonatal outcomes after expectant management for premature rupture of membranes occurring before or at the limit of viability.
METHODS: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases were searched electronically up to September 2023.
METHODS: Our study included both prospective and retrospective studies of singleton pregnancies with premature rupture of membranes before and at the limit of viability (ie, occurring between 14 0/7 and 24 6/7 weeks of gestation).
METHODS: Quality assessment of the included studies was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort studies. Moreover, our study used meta-analyses of proportions to combine data and reported pooled proportions. Given the clinical heterogeneity, a random-effects model was used to compute the pooled data analyses. This study was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews database (registration number: CRD42022368029).
RESULTS: The pooled proportion of termination of pregnancy was 32.3%. After the exclusion of cases of termination of pregnancy, the rate of spontaneous miscarriage or fetal demise was 20.1%, whereas the rate of live birth was 65.9%. The mean gestational age at delivery among the live-born cases was 27.3 weeks, and the mean latency between premature rupture of membranes and delivery was 39.4 days. The pooled proportion of cesarean deliveries was 47.9% of the live-born cases. Oligohydramnios occurred in 47.1% of cases. Chorioamnionitis occurred in 33.4% of cases, endometritis in 7.0%, placental abruption in 9.2%, and postpartum hemorrhage in 5.3%. Hysterectomy was necessary in 1.2% of cases. Maternal sepsis occurred in 1.5% of cases, whereas no maternal death was reported in the included studies. When focusing on neonatal outcomes, the mean birthweight was 1022.8 g in live-born cases. The neonatal intensive care unit admission rate was 86.3%, respiratory distress syndrome was diagnosed in 66.5% of cases, pulmonary hypoplasia or dysplasia was diagnosed in 24.0% of cases, and persistent pulmonary hypertension was diagnosed in 40.9% of cases. Of the surviving neonates, the other neonatal complications included necrotizing enterocolitis in 11.1%, retinopathy of prematurity in 27.1%, and intraventricular hemorrhage in 17.5%. Neonatal sepsis occurred in 30.2% of cases, and the overall neonatal mortality was 23.9%. The long-term follow-up at 2 to 4 years was normal in 74.1% of the available cases.
CONCLUSIONS: Premature rupture of membranes before or at the limit of viability was associated with a great burden of both obstetrical and neonatal complications, with an impaired long-term follow-up at 2 to 4 years in almost 30% of cases, representing a clinical challenge for both counseling and management. Our data are useful when initially approaching such patients to offer the most comprehensive possible scenario on short- and long-term outcomes of this condition and to help parents in shared decision-making. El resumen está disponible en Español al final del artículo.

Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) induces cardiopulmonary insufficiency with consumptive coagulopathy. Previous studies reported that refractory coagulopathy has already advanced at the onset of maternal cardiovascular and/or respiratory symptoms. However, when the consumption of coagulation factors starts during the clinical course, AFE remains to be elucidated. We report an intrapartum AFE case of consumptive coagulopathy before dyspnea with hypotension developing during urgent cesarean delivery that was revealed by non-reassuring fetal heart rate tracing. The patient, a 42-year-old multiparous parturient, underwent induced labor after a premature rupture of membranes in week 39 of pregnancy. Coagulation screening was initially within the normal range. Fetal heart rate monitoring demonstrated bradycardia coincided with uterine tachysystole after three hours, which required urgent cesarean section with preoperative blood screening. The hemoglobin level was maintained at 129 g/L; however, the fibrinogen value reduced to 1.79 g/L with D-dimer elevation over 60 µg/mL. Ninety minutes later, she developed dyspnea with hypotension at suturing hysterotomy. At the end of surgery, her fibrinogen further decreased to below 0.3 g/L with prolonged prothrombin time. After vigorous intensive care, she was discharged without sequelae. Consumptive coagulopathy may initiate and progress before apparent cardiopulmonary symptoms in some AFE cases. Non-reassuring fetal heart rate tracing concomitant with abrupt uterine tachysystole and/or hypertonus may be an earlier time point for the detection and intervention of AFE-related coagulopathy.

Air pollution is an environmental stimulus that may predispose pregnant women to preterm rapture of membrane (PROM). However, the relationship of maternal exposure to air pollutants and PROM is still unclear. To investigate the relationship between the long-term and short-term maternal exposure to air pollution and PROM. We searched all studies published in PubMed, Embase and Web of Science up to February 2024. The studies provided quantitative effect estimates with 95% confidence intervals, for the impact of short-term (<30 days) or long-term (≥30 days) maternal exposure to air pollutants on PROM, preterm PROM (PPROM) or term PROM (TPROM). The odds ratio (OR), risk ratio (RR), or hazard ratio (HR), with 95% confidence intervals was extracted, and RR or HR were deemed as OR because of the low prevalence of PROM. Fixed- or random-effects meta-analyses performed. In total, 17 relevant studies were included. Maternal exposure to PM2.5 in the second trimester increases the risk of PROM (pooled OR = 1.15, 95%CI: 1.05-1.26). Maternal exposure to PM10, NO2, NO, CO and SO2 during pregnancy and short-term maternal exposure to PM2.5, NO2, SO2 and O3 also associate with PROM occurrence. The results of the study show that both long-term maternal exposure in the second or third trimester and short-term maternal exposure to ambient air pollution can increase the risk of PROM.

UNASSIGNED: Several studies have identified risk factors for neonatal sepsis, but they are limited to specific geographical areas with results that may not be generalizable to other populations. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine the contributing factors, representative at a national level, that influence the occurrence of neonatal sepsis in neonates receiving hospital care in Ethiopia.
UNASSIGNED: A thorough search was conducted across PubMed/Medline, Hinari, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar to identify relevant studies. The pooled odds ratio was estimated using the random effect model. The heterogeneity among the included studies was evaluated using the I2 and Cochrane Q-statistics tests. Egger\'s tests used to assess publication bias.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 19 studies comprising 6190 study participants were included. Neonatal sepsis was positively associated with several factors, namely: prolonged premature rupture of membrane (OR: 3.85, 95% CI: 2.31-6.42), low first minute APGAR score (OR: 3.74, 95% CI: 1.29-10.81), low fifth minute APGAR score (OR: 4.17, 95% CI: 1.76-9.91), delayed initiation of breastfeeding (OR: 3.41, 95% CI: 2.18-5.36), and infection of the maternal urinary tract (OR: 3.17, 95% CI: 1.87-5.35).
UNASSIGNED: Duration of rupture of membrane, APGAR score, time of initiation of breastfeeding, and urinary tract infection have a role in the development of neonatal sepsis.

There is still no curative treatment for the spontaneous preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (sPPROM), the main cause of premature birth. Here, we summarize the most recent methods and materials used for sealing membranes after sPPROM. A literature search was conducted between 2013 and 2023 on reported newborns after membranes were sealed or on animal or tissue culture models. Fourteen studies describing the outcomes after using an amniopatch, an immunologic sealant, or a mechanical cervical adapter were included. According to these studies, an increase in the volume of amniotic fluid and the lack of chorioamnionitis demonstrate a favorable neonatal outcome, with a lower incidence of respiratory distress syndrome and early neonatal sepsis, even if sealing is not complete and stable. In vivo and in vitro models demonstrated that amniotic stem cells, in combination with amniocytes, can spontaneously repair small defects; because of the heterogenicity of the data, it is too early to draw a thoughtful conclusion. Future therapies should focus on materials and methods for sealing fetal membranes that are biocompatible, absorbable, available, easy to apply, and easily adherent to the fetal membrane.

BACKGROUND: Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) represents the most prevalent genital infection in young women of reproductive age.
OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to estimate the effect of HPV infection during pregnancy and assess the correlation between HPV and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
METHODS: The search strategy has been developed based on the PICOS framework: Population (pregnant women infected with HPV), Intervention (HPV infection confirmed by molecular tests), Comparator (pregnant women without HPV infection), Outcomes (adverse pregnancy outcomes) and Study design (observational studies). We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases on 8 January 2022 by using the following keywords: \"HPV\", \"prematurity\", \"preterm birth\", \"miscarriage\", \"premature rupture of membranes\", \"adverse pregnancy outcome\", \"low birth weight\", \"fetal growth restriction\", \"pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders\", \"preeclampsia\". Selection criteria were HPV infection confirmed within maximum 2 years before pregnancy with a molecular test and adverse pregnancy outcomes. (Results: Although numerous studies are conducted on this topic, data are still controversial regarding identifying maternal HPV infection as a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. More prospective large cohort studies are needed to prove a causative relationship.

Prelabor rupture of the fetal membranes (premature rupture of membranes, PROM) before or at the limit of fetal viability is condition associated with significant and serious pediatric morbidity and mortality. It is a rare problem, with an estimated incidence between 0.1 and 0.7%. Management of this condition is one of the most challenging clinical situations in obstetrics. We report the case of a pregnant woman presenting at 16 weeks gestation with ruptured membranes. The course of pregnancy was further complicated by complete placenta previa. Expectant management was undertaken, with term delivery and successful outcome of pregnancy. Expectant management is a reasonable approach in properly selected patients. Better understanding of the mechanisms of spontaneous membrane resealing is needed in order to improve poor outcomes. More published data and evidence are necessary to standardize treatment options for this rare condition.
UNASSIGNED: Vorzeitiger Blasensprung („premature rupture of membranes“, PROM) vor oder an der Grenze der fetalen Lebensfähigkeit ist ein Zustand, der mit einer signifikanten und schwerwiegenden kindlichen Morbidität und Mortalität zusammenhängt. Es handelt sich um ein seltenes Ereignis mit einer geschätzten Inzidenz zwischen 0,1 und 0,7 %. Die Behandlung dieser Erkrankung ist eine der schwierigsten klinischen Situationen in der Geburtshilfe. Die Autoren berichten vom Fall einer Schwangeren, die in der 16. Schwangerschaftswoche mit vorzeitigem Blasensprung vorstellig wurde. Als weitere Komplikation lag eine vollständige Placenta praevia vor. Das abwartende Management führte letztlich zu termingerechter Entbindung und erfolgreichem Ausgang der Schwangerschaft. Bei ausgewählten Patienten ist eine abwartende Behandlung ein adäquater Ansatz. Es ist notwendig, den Mechanismus des spontanen Verschlusses der fetalen Membranen besser zu verstehen, um gute Ergebnisse zu erzielen. Weitere Daten und Studien sind erforderlich, um die Behandlungsoptionen für diesen seltenen Zustand zu standardisieren.

Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) is the largest identifiable cause of preterm birth. There is currently no good screening test for PPROM in low-risk asymptomatic patients. Our goal was to identify how imaging methods can be utilized for examining the risks for PPROM in asymptomatic patients.
This paper is a systematic review of the literature on fetal membrane thickness and its use for the prediction of PPROM. Four key studies are identified and reviewed; two in vitro studies and two in vivo ultrasound studies each using differing methodologies. Additionally reviewed is a study using Optical Coherence Tomography, an emerging technique using near-infrared technology to produce high-resolution images.
There is currently insufficient data to determine the association between fetal membrane thickness and PPROM by ultrasound.
Fetal membrane thickness could have relevant clinical ramifications for the prediction of PPROM. Suggested improvements in study methodology and design will lead to progress in this area of research, as well as the use of newer technologies. Larger sample sizes, histological comparison, uniform methodologies for data collection, longitudinal study design and expanding data analysis beyond fetal membrane thickness to other properties would expand our knowledge in this field. In addition, transvaginal ultrasound should be utilized to improve resolution, as well as emerging methodologies such as MRI fusion imaging using ultrasound and Shear Wave Elastography.

BACKGROUND: External cephalic version (ECV) increases the likelihood of a vaginal delivery in patients with breech presentation. Our objective was to determine the rate of cephalic vaginal delivery in women undergoing ECV after PROM.
METHODS: We performed a systematic review of all case reports, case series and clinical trials of patients undergoing an ECV after PROM ≥ 24 weeks. Maternal demographics and outcome data were obtained. The primary outcome was rate of cephalic vaginal delivery. Statistical analysis was performed for continuous outcomes by calculating mean and standard deviations for appropriate variables.
RESULTS: The systematic review yielded six papers with 13 case reports and no clinical trials of ECV after PROM. The rate of success to cephalic presentation was 46.1% (six of 13 cases), with a subsequent vaginal delivery rate of 23.1% (three of 13 cases). The rate of umbilical cord prolapse was 33.3% (two of six cases).
CONCLUSIONS: ECV after PROM has been reported in 13 cases in the literature. For the cases reported, 46.1% of ECV were successful in turning to cephalic position, but only 23.1% resulted in a vaginal delivery. There was a 33.3% incidence of umbilical cord prolapse. Given the high rate of umbilical cord prolapse, it would be imperative to offer an ECV in the setting of PROM only at an institution that has the ability to perform the indicated emergent cesarean delivery and only after appropriate counseling.