maternal infection with toxoplasma gondii acquired during pregnancy may result in congenital infection of developing fetuses. up to now, decision on informed therapeutic abortion of fetuses suspected of having t. gondii infection in iran has been made based on serological findings in mothers. this might have led to unnecessary abortion of many uninfected children. we evaluated the polymerase ch...

The laboratory mouse (Mus musculus) has a naturally occurring intestinal nematode (Heligmosomoides polygyrus) that induces an immune response, causes phenotypic plasticity in metabolism and in organ structure and function, and results in changes in host reproductive output. The objectives of the present study were to determine (1) whether pups infected with parasites at weaning grew differently...

Background: The rate of Cesarean section is increasing which may be due to maternal and neonatal issues. Preterm Cesarean (at 38-39 weeks) has several morbidities and leads to maternal problems. The goal of this study was to compare neonatal and maternal complications following the performance of the Cesarean section after 38 weeks.Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated 1010 subjec...

Infection with Listeria monocytogenes is a significant health problem during pregnancy. This study evaluates the role of trafficking between maternal organs and placenta in a pregnant guinea pig model of listeriosis. After intravenous inoculation of guinea pigs, the initial ratio of bacteria in maternal organs to placenta was 10(3)-10(4):1. Rapid increase of bacteria in the placenta changed the...

Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) is a nonclassical HLA class I antigen that is expressed during pregnancy contributing to maternal-fetal tolerance. HLA-G can be expressed as membrane-bound and soluble forms. HLA-G expression increases strongly during viral infections such as congenital human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections, with functional consequences in immunoregulation. In this work we in...

The purpose of this study was to review systematically randomized controlled trials that were associated with cervical ripening. We identified randomized controlled trials that compared the use of Foley catheter, with or without extraamniotic saline solution infusion, Laminaria, or hygroscopic dilators for cervical ripening or induction with pharmacologic agents or placebo. Randomized controlle...

BACKGROUND Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infections are the most prevalent intrauterine infections worldwide and are the result of maternal primary or non-primary infections. Early maternal primary infections are thought to carry the highest risk of fetal developmental abnormalities as seen by ultrasound; however, non-primary infections may prove equally detrimental. METHODS/RESULTS This ...

BACKGROUND Maternal infection during pregnancy may be a risk factor for epilepsy in offspring. Use of antibiotics is a valid marker of infection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS To examine the relationship between maternal infection during pregnancy and risk of childhood epilepsy we conducted a historical cohort study of singletons born in northern Denmark from 1998 through 2008 who survived ≥...

It has been suggested that infection during perinatal life may lie at the etiological root of schizophrenia. It has thus been hypothesized that the origin of schizophrenia may lie either in direct fetal infection and/or in a generally increased familial susceptibility to infections, some of which may occur during pregnancy. We explored these 2 hypotheses by assessing maternal infection during p...