Browsing by Author "Zargarzadeh, Nikan"

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    Decreasing trend of gastroschisis prevalence in the United States from 2014 through 2022: Is attributed to declining birth rates in young, high-risk gravidae
    (Elsevier, 2025-02-12) Mustafa, Hiba J.; Zargarzadeh, Nikan; Moss, Kevin L.; Abiad, May; Gray, Brian; Aagaard, Kjersti M.; Buchmiller, Terry L.; Perrone, Erin E.; Shamshirsaz, Alireza A.; Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health
    Objectives: To investigate the prevalence trend of gastroschisis in the United States between 2014 and 2022. Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective analysis of the Centers for the United States live births between 2014 and 2022. Pregnancies and neonatal singleton live births with documented isolated gastroschisis were included. Neonates with other major congenital anomalies and known chromosomal abnormalities were excluded. Prevalence per 10,000 live births along with 95 % confidence intervals was estimated. Results: Among 32,088,301 singleton live births, 6804 cases of isolated gastroschisis were identified (Point prevalence: 2 in 10,000 live births). A significant decline in gastroschisis prevalence was observed, decreasing from 2.86 per 10,000 live births in 2014-1.55 per 10,000 live births in 2022 (P < 0.001). The risk of gastroschisis was significantly higher in teen and nulliparous gravidae, with prepregnancy tobacco use, and among socially vulnerable populations (underweight, < 12th-grade education, Medicaid, non-Hispanic Indigenous Americans). The drop in gastroschisis births from 2014 to 2022, compared to non-gastroschisis births, is more significant in maternal age < 20 years, nulliparous, BMI < 18.5, and in smokers prior to pregnancy than in the overall population (P = 0.02, 0.0008, <0.0001, <0.0001, and 0.01 respectively). All of the associated maternal factors had a significant decline in prevalence (P < 0.001), which may influence the decreasing trend of gastroschisis. There was no perceived considerable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gastroschisis trends. Conclusions: The study highlights a notable decline in gastroschisis prevalence mostly attributable to a declining birth rate in the highest at-risk strata, suggesting recent increases in birth rates among these at-risk gravidae may reverse the trend of declining gastroschisis disease prevalence. These findings support the need for ongoing further research to understand effective means of sustaining this decreasing trend.
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    Prenatal Surgery for Open Fetal Spina Bifida in Patients with Obesity: A Review of Current Evidence and Future Directions
    (MDPI, 2024-09-24) Bonanni, Giulia; Zargarzadeh, Nikan; Krispin, Eyal; Northam, Weston T.; Bevilacqua, Elisa; Mustafa, Hiba J.; Shamshirsaz, Alireza A.; Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine
    Background: Obesity rates have significantly increased globally, affecting up to 40% of women of childbearing age in the United States. While prenatal repair of open fetal spina bifida has shown improved outcomes, most fetal surgery centers exclude patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 35 kg/m2 based on criteria from the Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) trial. This exclusion raises concerns about healthcare equity and highlights a significant knowledge gap regarding the safety and efficacy of fetal spina bifida repair in patients with obesity. Objective: To review the current state of knowledge regarding open fetal surgery for fetal spina bifida in patients with obesity, focusing on safety, efficacy, and clinical considerations. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the PubMed and EMBASE databases, covering articles from the inception of the databases to April 2024. Studies discussing fetal surgery for neural tube defects and documenting BMI measurements and their impact on surgical outcomes, published in peer-reviewed journals, and available in English were included. Quantitative data were extracted into an Excel sheet, and data synthesis was conducted using the R programming language (version 4.3.3). Results: Three retrospective studies examining outcomes of prenatal open spina bifida repair in a total of 43 patients with a BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2 were identified. These studies did not report significant adverse maternal or fetal outcomes compared to patients with lower BMIs. Our pooled analysis revealed a perinatal mortality rate of 6.1% (95% CI: 1.76-18.92%), with 28.0% (95% CI: 14.0-48.2%) experiencing the premature rupture of membranes and 82.0% (95% CI: 29.2-98.0%) delivering preterm (<37 weeks). Membrane separation was reported in 10.3% of cases (95% CI: 3.3-27.7%), the mean gestational age at birth was 34.3 weeks (95% CI: 32.3-36.3), and the average birth weight was 2651.5 g (95% CI: 2473.7-2829.4). Additionally, 40.1% (95% CI: 23.1-60.0%) required a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Conclusion: While current evidence suggests that fetal spina bifida repair may be feasible in patients with obesity, significant limitations in the existing body of research were identified. These include small sample sizes, retrospective designs, and a lack of long-term follow-up data. There is an urgent need for large-scale, prospective, multicenter studies to definitively establish the safety and efficacy of fetal spina bifida repair in patients with obesity. Such research is crucial for developing evidence-based guidelines, improving clinical outcomes, and addressing healthcare disparities in this growing patient population with obesity.