Takeshi Umazume

We report a 32-year-old woman (1-gravid, 1-para) with a vesicular lesion in her uterus that was pointed out on ultrasound at 8 weeks' gestation. Amniocentesis at 15 weeks' gestation showed a normal female karyotype, 46XX. As the pregnancy advanced, the mole-like lesion became relatively reduced. Throughout gestation, the maternal human chorionic gonadotropin level was normal, but the serum alpha fetoprotein level rose as her pregnancy progressed. Her fetus did not exhibit any remarkable anomalie

Maternal telemedicine can be safely conducted in pregnant women who are at risk of having an underlying disorder or fetal abnormality 1 month following the start of the attempt. It should be considered as a form of maternal medical care to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Maximal cardiac changes in morphology occurred postpartum within 1 week after childbirth, not during pregnancy. BNP/NT-proBNP, hs-TnI and eGFR reflected cardiac changes in pregnancy.

The risk of fetal red blood cells trafficking into the maternal circulation may be increased in women complicated with PE, PA, PP, and PMD.

It is undetermined which blood variables related to iron storage during the first trimester of pregnancy could efficiently predict anemia occurring during the third trimester. Red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, ferritin, iron, and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) were assessed longitudinally during the first, second, and third trimesters of 231 healthy Japanese women. None of the patients had anemia in the first trimester and none used iron supplementation before

In this small preliminary study, 30% of the pregnant women felt equal or greater satisfaction with telemedicine than face-to-face consultations. A stronger demand for telemedicine was exhibited by multiparous women than primiparous women. Thus, a system that would be advantages by limiting subjects and enabling low-cost examinations is required for making perinatal telemedicine more popular.

The intravascular cardiac load reached maximum within 1 week after childbirth and was greater in women with twin pregnancies than in those with singleton pregnancies. BNP/NT-proBNP significantly positively correlated with LA volume index and E/e'. In women with singleton pregnancies, BNP secreted immediately after childbirth might improve the diastolic functions 1 month after childbirth.

<b>Background:</b> Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is present in healthy individuals but is elevated in those undergoing physical exertion, trauma, sepsis, and certain cancers. Maintaining cfDNA concentrations is vital for immune homeostasis and preventing inflammatory responses. Understanding cfDNA release and clearance is essential for using cfDNA as a biomarker in clinical diagnostics. We focused on the fragment size of cfDNA and investigated cfDNA dynamics and half-life, particularly the 100-250 base

The shortage of PPE in Japan is alarming. Sufficient stockpiling of PPE is necessary to prevent unnecessary disruptions in medical care. Appropriate guidelines for PPE usage and COVID-19 testing of pregnant women at delivery are needed in Japan.

Suicide due to postpartum depression is the most common perinatal-related death and is a social concern in Japan. Nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy may contribute to postpartum depression; therefore, we investigated the relationship between postpartum depression and nutritional status during pregnancy and postpartum. We focused specifically on ketone bodies because they are known to protect brain cells. The relationship between the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores and t

Reduced LV diastolic function and decreased splanchnic blood reservoir may contribute to the increased third trimester IVC diameter and LA volume in women with HDP. The rise in hs-TnI around childbirth was associated with poor LV relaxation ability at 1 month postpartum.

A 36-year-old nulliparous woman developed pre-eclampsia at gestational week (GW) 28^-6/7 Cardiac status was checked regularly. Heart rate of 93 beats per minute (bpm) with left atrial diameter (LAD) of 35 mm, left ventricular hypertrophy and inferior vena cava diameter (IVCD) of 8 mm at GW 32^-0/7 decreased to 48 bpm with an expanded IVCD to 25 mm, dilated left atrium (LAD to 39 mm), increased pulmonary arterial pressure, increased systemic vascular resistance (approximate 30

A 27-year-old nulliparous Japanese woman with twin pregnancy developed preeclampsia at gestational week (GW) 26. Cardiac function was checked regularly as women carrying twins with preeclampsia are expected to have increased risk of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). Although conventional parameters including blood pressure, proteinuria, platelet count and liver function did not indicate early delivery, gradual worsening of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) to 44% and plasma brain-type na

The need for medical intervention in pregnant patients can be predicted with high accuracy using a CRP cutoff of 1.28 mg/dL on days 4-6 after onset of syndromes. The presence of fever also may be an easy marker for selecting subjects who need or will need therapeutic intervention. These could be an effective triage method to determine appropriate indications for the hospitalization of pregnant women in future outbreaks.