Agata Majewska

Purpose Late-onset fetal growth restriction (FGR) presents clinical management challenges, often requiring frequent in-hospital fetal surveillance. Telemedicine-based computerized cardiotocography (cCTG) performed at home may offer a viable remote monitoring addition. Methods This single-center, open-label, a pilot randomized controlled pragmatic trial (COSMOS) was conducted in Warsaw, Poland, between 2022 and 2025. A total of 120 women with late-onset FGR, defined according to the Delphi criteria, were randomly assigned (1:1) to either a cCTG-based monitoring approach with protocol-mandated safety Doppler assessments or to standard hospital-based Doppler surveillance. The primary outcome was neonatal condition at birth (Apgar score at 5 min, umbilical artery pH). Secondary outcomes included emergency cesarean section for fetal compromise, maternal anxiety, measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), number of antenatal visits, and a composite of adverse neonatal outcomes. The study protocol was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05034861). Results There were no significant differences between groups in Apgar scores, umbilical cord arterial pH, or need for neonatal resuscitation. The rate of emergency cesarean delivery was lower in the cCTG-based group. Women in the cCTG-based group also reported significantly lower anxiety levels at delivery and required fewer antenatal visits, with no increase in adverse neonatal outcomes. Conclusions Home-based computerized CTG within a pragmatic real-world framework appears feasible in pregnancies complicated by late-onset FGR. These findings support the potential of this approach to reduce hospital-based monitoring, maternal anxiety and in-person visits; however, these results should be considered hypothesis-generating and not indicative of clinical effectiveness. Clinical trials registration Date 13.08.2021 NCT Number NCT05034861

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide, with the leading risk factor being high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV); persistent HR-HPV infection leads to cervical dysplasia. With early screening and, if indicated, therapeutic strategies such as a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ), morbidity and mortality in this population are decreasing. However, it is suspected that these procedures may have an impact on sexual dysfunction. Methods: In this single-center prospective longitudinal study, we recruited patients with a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and HR-HPV-positive result and evaluated the impact of LEEP/LLETZ on their sexual life and psychological well-being. All participants received two questionnaires—the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Brief Index of Sexual Function-Women (BISF-W)—after diagnosis, before treatment, and three months after the procedure. Results: A total of 40 women aged 28 to 55 years were enrolled. This study showed no significant changes in both the FSFI (F(1,39) = 0.774; p = 0.38) and BISF-W total scores (F(1,39). This study revealed that 32/40 (80%) of participants based on the FSFI either exhibited no change or improved sexual function. Only 3/40 (7.5%) mentioned sexual dysfunction after procedures. This study also found that the mean score for sexual function based on the FSFI was 2.80; p = 0.102. Conclusions: These findings suggest that patients who qualified for LEEP/LLETZ can be reassured that the anxiety they experience prior to treatment is not necessarily justified. This provides evidence of the safety of loop excision procedures in terms of sexual functioning after the procedure. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to analyze the potential risk factors that may contribute to adverse sexual outcomes and to achieve a better understanding of this complex problem.

Background/Objectives: Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide, with the leading risk factor being high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV); persistent HR-HPV infection leads to cervical dysplasia [1,2,3,4]. With early screening and, if indicated, therapeutic strategies such as loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and large loop excision of transformation zone (LLETZ), morbidity and mortality in this population is decreasing. However, it is suspected that these procedures may have an impact on sexual dysfunction. Methods: In this single-centre prospective longitudinal study, we recruited patients with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and HR-HPV positive result and evaluated the impact of LEEP/LLETZ on their sexual life and psychological well-being. All participants received two questionnaires - the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Brief Index of Sexual Function-Women (BISF-W) – after diagnosis, before treatment and three months after the procedure. Results: A total of 40 women aged 28 to 55 years were enrolled. The study showed no significant changes in both FSFI (F(1,39) = 0.774; p = 0.38) and BISF-W total scores (F(1,39) The study revealed that 32/40 (80%) of participants based on FSFI either exhibited no change or improved sexual function. Only 3/40 (7.5%) mentioned sexual dysfunction after procedures. The study also found that the mean score for sexual function based on the FSFI was 2.80; p = 0.102. Conclusions: The findings suggest that patients qualified for LEEP/LLETZ can be reassured that the anxiety they experience prior to treatment is not necessarily justified. This provides evidence on the safety of loop excision procedures in terms of sexual functioning after the procedure. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to analyse potential risk factors that may contribute to adverse sexual outcomes and to achieve a better understanding of this complex problem.

Aims: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common type of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy. GDM is a risk factor of adverse perinatal outcomes, with the incidence rate increasing proportionally to the level of maternal dysglycaemia. Therefore, glycaemic control plays an important role in management of GDM. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of flash glucose monitoring (FGM) in GDM. Materials and methods: This was a non-blinded, randomised controlled trial, that recruited 100 pregnant women diagnosed with GDM between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation at the 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical University of Warsaw. After meeting the inclusion criteria patients were randomly allocated to the study group (FGM, n = 50) or control group (self-monitoring of blood glucose—SMBG, n = 50). Clinical and laboratory results were assessed at four follow-up visits. The primary outcome was mean fasting and postprandial glycaemia. The secondary outcomes were perinatal outcomes. Results: There was no significant difference in mean glycaemia between the groups (p = 0.437) Compared to the control group, the study group significantly reduced their fasting (p = 0.027) and postprandial glycaemia (p = 0.034) during the first 4 weeks following GDM diagnosis, with no significant difference in progression to insulin therapy (OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.47–2.57). Incidence of fetal macrosomia was significantly higher in SMBG as compared to FGM group (OR 5.63, 95% CI 1.16–27.22). Conclusions: Study results indicate that FGM has an impact on glycaemic control, dietary habits and incidence of fetal macrosomia in patients with GDM. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT04422821.

Hyperglycaemia in pregnancy is one of the most common complications of pregnancy and is generally diagnosed as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Nevertheless, clinical symptoms of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy in some cases do not match the clinical manifestations of GDM. It is suspected that 1-2 % of women diagnosed with GDM are misdiagnosed maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY). MODY often has a subclinical course; thus, it is challenging for clinicians to aptly diagnose monogenic diabetes in pregnancy. Proper diagnosis is crucial for the effective treatment of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy. Many studies revealed that misdiagnosis of MODY increases the rate of complications for both mother and fetus. This literature review reports the current knowledge regarding diagnosis, treatment, and complications of the most common types of MODY in pregnancy.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are multifactorial and complex neurodevelopmental conditions usually diagnosed in the early childhood. The etiology of ASDs is commonly described as a genetic predisposition combined with an environmental impact. As a result of broadening of the diagnostic criteria the prevalence of ASDs has been increasing worldwide and the search for the modifiable factors is still on-going. Epidural analgesia (ELA) provides effective pain relief during labor and is currently the most preferred method of anesthesia during the delivery. The safety of the procedure is well-discussed and documented; nonetheless, in 2020 a single population-based study indicated an association between the use of ELA during labor and newborn risk of ASD development, which led to widespread concern. To explore the possible association between the ELA and ASD occurrence in the offspring several studies in different countries have been conducted to date. In this review we aimed to summarize the current state of knowledge concerning the association between the use of epidural analgesia during labor and risk of ASD. In conclusion, the literature review indicates that there is no significant association.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common complications of pregnancy, affecting up to 14% of pregnant women. The population of patients with risk factors of GDM is increasing; thus, it is essential to improve management of this condition. One of the key factors affecting perinatal outcomes in GDM is glycaemic control. Until recently, glucose monitoring was only available with self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG). However, nowadays, there is a new method, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), which has been shown to be safe in pregnancy. Since proper glycaemia assessment has been shown to affect perinatal outcomes, we decided to perform a systematic review to analyse the role of CGM in glycaemic control in GDM. We conducted a web search of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science databases according to the PRISMA guidelines. The web search was performed by two independent researchers and resulted in 14 articles included in the systematic review. The study protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database with registration number CRD42021289883. The main outcome of the systematic review was determining that, when compared, CGM played an important role in better glycaemic control than SMBG. Furthermore, glycaemic control with CGM improved qualification for insulin therapy. However, most of the articles did not reveal CGM’s role in improving neonatal outcomes. Therefore, more studies are needed to analyse the role of CGM in affecting perinatal outcomes in GDM.

Placental transfer of glucose constitutes one of the major determinants of the intrauterine foetal growth. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the expression of glucose transporter proteins GLUT-1, GLUT-3, GLUT-8 and GLUT-12 in the placenta of macrosomic, small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and growth-restricted foetuses (FGR). A total of 70 placental tissue samples were collected from women who delivered macrosomic ≥4000 g (n = 26), SGA (n = 11), growth-restricted (n = 13) and healthy control neonates (n = 20). Computer-assisted quantitative morphometry of stained placental sections was performed to determine the expression of selected GLUT proteins. Immunohistochemical staining identified the presence of all glucose transporters in the placental tissue. Quantitative morphometric analysis performed for the vascular density-matched placental samples revealed a significant decrease in GLUT-1 and increase in GLUT-3 protein expression in pregnancies complicated by FGR as compared to other groups (p < 0.05). In addition, expression of GLUT-8 was significantly decreased among SGA foetuses (p < 0.05). No significant differences in GLUTs expression were observed in women delivering macrosomic neonates. In the SGA group foetal birth weight (FBW) was negatively correlated with GLUT-3 (rho = −0.59, p < 0.05) and positively with GLUT-12 (rho = 0.616, p < 0.05) placental expression. In addition, a positive correlation between FBW and GLUT-12 expression in the control group (rho = 0.536, p < 0.05) was noted. In placentas derived from FGR-complicated pregnancies the expression of two major glucose transporters GLUT-1 and GLUT-3 is altered. On the contrary, idiopathic foetal macrosomia is not associated with changes in the placental expression of GLUT-1, GLUT-3, GLUT-8 and GLUT-12 proteins.