Israel Medical Association Journal

Background: Fetal macrosomia is a risk factor for operative vaginal delivery (VD), shoulder dystocia, obstructed labor, and cesarean section (CS). Induction of labor (IOL) may decrease these risks but also leads to longer labor, increasing the risk of CS. No data exist regarding the optimal method of IOL in macrosomic fetuses, and most studies are limited to the efficacy of medical induction.

Objective: To compare medical and mechanical IOL in macrocosmic fetuses.

Methods: This retrospective case-control study included pregnant women who underwent IOL and delivered macrosomic neonates at a tertiary center between 2010 and 2020.

Women with non-cephalic presentation, prior CS, and multiple pregnancies were excluded. The primary outcome was the mode of delivery. Secondary outcomes included neonatal and maternal complications.

Results: A total of 247 women were included in the study, 188 underwent cervical ripening with prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) regimens and 59 with a double-balloon catheter. Higher rates of prior deliveries over 4000 grams and Oxytocin use during delivery were found in the mechanical induction group. No other clinically significant differences in demographic or clinical characteristics were identified. There were no statistically significant differences in the rates of VD or CS between the groups. The indications for CS were similar. Maternal and neonatal secondary outcomes were comparable.

Conclusion: PGE2 vaginal regimens and double catheter balloons are safe and effective methods for cervical ripening during IOL in term pregnancies with macrosomic neonates. The choice of cervical ripening method did not impact the mode of delivery or maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Background: Fetal weight estimation at term is a challenging clinical task.

Objectives: To evaluate the association between peripheral white blood cell (WBC) count of the laboring women and neonatal birth weight (BW) for term uncomplicated pregnancies.

Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective cohort study (2006–2021) of women admitted in the first stage of labor or planned cesarean delivery. Complete blood counts were collected at admission. BW groups were categorized by weight (grams): < 2500 (group A), 2500–3499 (group B), 3500–4000 (group C), and > 4000 (group D). Two study periods were used to evaluate the association between WBC count and neonatal BW.

Results: There were a total of 98,632 deliveries. The dataset analyses showed a lower WBC count that was significantly and linearly associated with a higher BW; P for trend < 0.001 for women in labor. The most significant association was noted for the > 4000-gram newborns; adjusted odds ratio 0.97, 95% confidence interval 0.96–0.98; P < 0.001; adjusted for hemoglobin level, gestational age, and fetal sex. The 2018–2021 dataset analyses revealed WBC as an independent predictor of macrosomia with a significant incremental predictive value (P < 0.0001). The negative predictive value of the WBC count for macrosomia was significantly high, 93.85% for a threshold of WBC < 10.25 × 10³/µl.

Conclusions: WBC count should be considered to support the in-labor fetal weight estimation, especially valuable for the macrosomic fetus.