BACKGROUND Fetal sex and maternal age are each known to affect outcomes of pregnancies. The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of the combination of maternal age and fetal sex on pregnancy outcomes in term and post-term singleton pregnancies. MATERIAL AND METHODS This was a retrospective study on term singleton pregnancies delivered between 2004 and 2008 at the Ch...

BACKGROUND The maternal near-miss (MNM) concept has been developed to assess life-threatening conditions during pregnancy, childhood, and puerperium. In recent years, caesarean section (CS) rates have increased rapidly in many low- and middle-income countries, a trend which might have serious effects on maternal health. Our aim was to describe the occurrence and panorama of maternal near-miss a...

CONTEXT Maternal serum human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) and Alpha Fetal Protein (AFP) were originally introduced to detect trisomy 21 and neural tube defects. However, in the absence of aneuploidy or neural tube defects, mid-trimester maternal serum hCG and/or maternal serum AFP associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancies with unexplained mid-trimester elevation in maternal serum ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW A complicated but relevant and timely concept, cesarean delivery on maternal request (CDMR) is defined as a cesarean delivery for a singleton pregnancy on maternal request at term in the absence of medical or obstetrical indications. RECENT FINDINGS Multiple potential risks and benefits exist with both vaginal and cesarean deliveries. A CDMR performed prior to the onset of l...

CONTEXT The prevalence of maternal obesity has been increasing dramatically in the recent years (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2). Maternal obesity is associated with an unequivocal increase in maternal and fetal complications of pregnancy and more than that, these complications also extend beyond fetal life in childhood and adulthood. Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate maternal and ne...