View clinical trials related to Pregnancy.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of varied maternal choline intake on maternal/fetal biomarkers of choline status, genomic expression and metabolomic profiling.
This study is a randomized placebo-controlled trial of oral weekly vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplementation during the third trimester of pregnancy among women in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The overall goal of the study is to establish whether there is evidence that improving vitamin D status among pregnant women in Bangladesh will enhance the resistance of the infant offspring to infection. The aims of the study are to assess the effect of supplementation on 1) maternal and infant vitamin D status (based on blood concentrations of a vitamin D metabolite) and, 2) markers of neonatal immune function.
The purpose of this study is to estimate the effect of maternal teenage on pregnancy and perinatal outcomes among Caucasian pregnant women.
A more recent prospective nonrandomized placebo-controlled double-blind clinical study demonstrated that metformin exerts a slight but significant deleterious effect on serum homocysteine (Hcy) levels in patients with PCOS, and supplementation with folate is useful to increase the beneficial effect of metformin on the vascular endothelium.
Neural tube defects are one of the most prevalent congenital abnormalities, surpassed only by cardiac malformations. Spina bifida accounts for the majority of the neural tube defects and is comprised of a wide spectrum of anomalies ranging from small isolated sacral dysraphisms to large spinal defects. The origin of spina bifida is a failure of neurulation. It usually occurs at 15 days post-conception, resulting in a bony spinal defect with extrusion of the neural placode and/or the meninges outside of the spinal canal. Spina bifida has a prevalence of 1-5 in 1,000 live births and is the most complex congenital abnormality compatible to long-time survival. Concerning psychomotor development as well as urinary bladder and intestinal morbidity the prognosis ranges from normal functional outcome to severe disability. The diagnosis of serious fetal abnormalities such as spinal dysraphism by ultrasound screening allows patients to prepare for the birth of an impaired child or to consider termination of the pregnancy. In current practice, prenatal counseling and obstetric management depend not only on the detection of a spinal dysraphism but also on an appropriate assessment of the severity of the defect and its possible impact on the postnatal development of the affected child. Level and type of lesion, presence of associated anomalies (e.g., Chiari II malformation and ventriculomegaly) and mode of surgical closure are factors known to have prognostic impact on the postnatal outcome. Previous studies reported that postnatally determined lesion levels correlated well with functional status and survival. On the contrary, it is still not clear whether similar data obtained antenatally are of value. In this study, the investigators will review their database of all cases of prenatally diagnosed spina bifida within a 16 year period between 1993 and 2009. By analyzing the prenatal and postnatal characteristics of fetuses with spina bifida in relation to the anatomic level of the lesion, the investigators aim to contribute further information regarding the natural course of affected pregnancies and the correlation of prenatal ultrasound findings with their functional outcome.
To provide rigorous, detailed normative data for diagnostics and comparative studies, to determine relationships between cytokine levels (and other biomarkers) and clinical data, and gain further insight into the pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokine profile of normal midtrimester amniotic fluid.
Assessing the relation between the Pelvis diameters measured by the LaborPro, and the mode of delivery(normal vaginal delivery/instrumental delivery/Caesarean section.
Preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks gestation) is a large problem in the United States and is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality and childhood neurological disability. Despite significant advances in the care of pregnant mothers, the incidence of preterm labor is on the rise. There is growing recognition that cytokines and inflammatory mediators present at amniotic fluid and placenta play a fundamental role in regulating labor. Cytokines are chemicals in the fluid that tell the body's immune system what to do. These (and other biomarkers) can be measured with a small amount (a few drops) of amniotic fluid. The researchers have previously shown that people at risk for preterm labor have higher cytokine levels. However, understanding the in-utero environment currently requires invasive sampling, such as amniocentesis, to determine cytokine concentrations. This procedure has inherent risks, causes patient discomfort and anxiety, and thus does not avail itself to routine use or repeated sampling, especially in non-high risk patients. Therefore, the researchers are looking for non-invasive sampling that can predict the in-utero environment. To date, no studies have simultaneously evaluated different maternal-fetal compartments to determine the relationship of these markers among the compartments. Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study is to determine the differential expression of inflammatory mediators in various maternal-fetal compartments; specifically, vaginal fluid, cervical secretions, placenta, cord blood (arterial and venous), amniotic fluid, maternal serum, maternal urine, and maternal saliva. The researchers seek to obtain fluid samples from nine maternal-fetal compartments and determine the inflammatory mediator expression in each. The timing of collection, location, and proposed studies for each of the samples is outlined in Table 1. In this pilot study, we plan to enroll 20 patients undergoing cesarean delivery. After consent, the samples will be collected and given a unique Study ID number. No protected health information will be collected. In addition, there will be no link between the Study ID and patient identifiers. Therefore, we are not seeking HIPAA authorization at the time of consent. While none of these samples would routinely be collected as part of the standard of care, the collection procedures meet the criteria for minimal risk.
Great scientific effort has been made to improve practical as well as economical procedures of modern assisted reproduction. In the last years a shift from the well established method of slow-rate freezing to vitrification of 2PN zygotes and embryos could be observed. Like any other method of cryopreservation, the outcome of vitrification will be affected by several factors related to technique itself, its practical management and patient characteristics. The investigators want to investigate the influence of vitrification on the outcome of of 2PN oocytes, pregnancy and infant health. A Comparison between a cohort of spontaneous conceived children and children of vitrified and slow- cooled 2PN oocytes is planned.
It is well known that airway management can be difficult during pregnancy. Increased risks for difficult intubation in pregnant women have been often reported. Thus, pregnancy is regarded as a period of high anesthesiologic risk. Generalized weight gain is a well known factor influencing the upper airway in pregnant women. However, the modifications of the airway itself are less well documented. The acoustic reflection method is based on the analysis of the reflection of a single transient planar wave allowing the analysis of the longitudinal cross-sectional area profile of the examined cavity. It is a noninvasive and harmless method. The aim of the study is to evaluate by acoustic reflection method the physiological modifications of the upper airways during pregnancy. Women enrolled in the study will undergo an acoustic recording during the first, second, and third trimester of pregnancy, as well as two days and one month after delivery. Forty pregnant women will be included in this monocentric, prospective, open labelled study. Moreover, a single acoustic recording will be performed in 10 other pregnant women undergoing an MRI for obstetrical purpose. The estimated caliber of the upper airways by MRI and acoustic method will be compared.