The aim of this study was to examine the differences in pregnancy complications, delivery characteristics, and neonatal outcomes between women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This study included all pregnant women with diabetes in pregnancy in Belgrade, Serbia, between 2010 and 2020. The total sample consisted of 6737 patients. In total, 1318 (19.6%) patients had T1DM, 138 (2.0%) had T2DM, and 5281 patients (78.4%) had GDM. Multivariate logistic regression with the type of diabetes as an outcome variable showed that patients with T1DM had a lower likelihood of vaginal delivery (OR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.64–0.83), gestational hypertension (OR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.36–0.62), higher likelihood of chronic hypertension (OR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.55–2.29),and a higher likelihood ofgestational age at delivery before 37 weeks (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.18–1.63) compared to women with GDM. Multivariate logistic regression showed that patients with T2DM had a lower likelihood ofgestational hypertension compared to women with GDM (OR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.15–0.92).Our results indicate that the highest percentage of diabetes in pregnancy is GDM, and the existence of differences in pregnancy complications, childbirth characteristics, and neonatal outcomes are predominantly between women with GDM and women with T1DM.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a complex thrombo-inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Women with APS are at high risk of recurrent early pregnancy loss as well as late obstetrical complications—premature birth due to placental insufficiency or severe preeclampsia. Accumulating evidence implies that vascular thrombosis is not the only pathogenic mechanism in obstetric APS, and that the direct negative effect of aPL on the placental cells, trophoblast, plays a major role. In this review, we summarize the current findings regarding the potential mechanisms involved in aPL-induced trophoblast dysfunction. Introduction on the APS and aPL is followed by an overview of the effects of aPL on trophoblast—survival, cell function and aPL internalization. Finally, the implication of several non-coding RNAs in pathogenesis of obstetric APS is discussed, with special emphasis of their possible role in trophoblast dysfunction and the associated mechanisms.

Introduction: Intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) is defined as death of the fetus after the 20th week of gestation. Despite regular monitoring the incidence of IUFD remains high. This study aims to assess the incidence and maternal conditions associated with IUFD over term pregnancies in a twelve-year period. Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted on a population of women in whom IUFD was diagnosed in a term pregnancy during the period from January 2010 to December 2022. The study was at the Clinic for Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Clinic Centre of Serbia. The analyses included the number of deliveries, live births, and stillbirths, as well as maternal, fetal, and placental conditions associated with the risk of IUDF. The statistical analysis involved descriptive statistical methods and one sample proportion. Results: The average age of the patients was 30 years. Most patients had secondary and higher education, and 70% of patients had regular pregnancy monitoring; 53.33% were primiparous and pregnancies occurred spontaneously. IUFD mainly occurred in the 39th week of gestation. In total, 38.3% had one to two associated diseases, 5% more than three, and 58.33% were healthy. Recurrence of IUFD was reported by 10% of patients, while 8.33% had a history of spontaneous abortion. Over 80% of placental histopathological findings indicated some pathology (e.g., infarction, infections, placental abruption). Conclusions: The most significant risk factors for IUFD in term pregnancies in our population during the study period were hypertensive syndrome in pregnancy, obesity and gestational diabetes. Pathological findings on the placenta were more common in our study group than is usually reported with infractions of placental tissue being the most common, even in healthy women.

The aim of this study was to analyze the trends in diabetes in pregnancy in Belgrade, Serbia for the period of the past decade and forecast the number of women with pre-gestational diabetes for the years 2030 and 2050. The study included the data on all pregnant women with diabetes from the registry of the deliveries in Belgrade, by the City Institute of Public Health of Belgrade, Serbia for the period between 2010 and 2020 and the published data on the deliveries on the territory of Belgrade. During the examined period the total number of live births in Belgrade was 196,987, and the prevalence of diabetes in pregnancy was 3.4%, with the total prevalence of pre-gestational diabetes of 0.7% and overall prevalence of GDM of 2.7%. The average age of women in our study was significantly lower in 2010 compared to 2020. The forecasted prevalence of pre-gestational diabetes among all pregnant women for 2030 is 2% and 4% for 2050 in our cohort. Our study showed that the prevalence of pre-gestational diabetes has increased both among all pregnant women and among women with diabetes in pregnancy in the past decade in Belgrade, Serbia and that it is expected to increase further in the next decades and to further double by 2050.

Background and Objectives: The prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy is about 20%, and 10–15% in the postpartum period. Suicide is a worrying cause of death among women in these periods. Although ICD-10 lacks specific definitions for perinatal depression (it is planned in ICD-11), the DSM-5 defines it. Various etiological factors and treatment options are being investigated. This study aimed to examine potential etiological factors in order to contribute to potential preventive and therapeutic approaches. Material and Methods: A prospective study at the Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Clinical Center of Serbia, from October 2023 to January 2024 was conducted. Two hundred and five healthy women were surveyed before giving birth (37+ gestational weeks) and 2 weeks and 2 months after childbirth. The following factors were examined: sociodemographic, psychological, and obstetric (using a specially designed questionnaire); relationship quality (DAS-32); and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms (EPDS; DASS-21). Results: Depression frequency was 26.3% before childbirth, 20% in the second week, and 21.9% in the second month after delivery. DASS-21 test results showed a statistically significant correlation before delivery and two weeks postpartum (p = 0.02). Factors that are significantly associated with the presence of depressive symptoms include the following: before childbirth—miscarriages (p < 0.01); in the second week after childbirth—personal experiences of a difficult birth (p < 0.01), cesarean delivery instead of planned vaginal delivery (p = 0.03), and application of epidural anesthesia (p = 0.04); and in the second month after childbirth—satisfaction with financial status (p = 0.035). Relationship quality is significantly correlated with DASS-21 test results before childbirth, in the second week, and in the second month after childbirth (p < 0.01), and it is significantly different in women with and without depressive symptoms (before childbirth, in the second week, and in the second month after childbirth, p < 0.01). Conclusions: There are risk factors that can be addressed preventively and therapeutically during pregnancy and in labor. This could be achieved through psychotherapy, partner support, and appropriate management of labor.

Electrical activity is important for brain development. In brain slices, human subplate neurons exhibit spontaneous electrical activity that is highly sensitive to lanthanum. Based on the results of pharmacological experiments in human fetal tissue, we hypothesized that hemichannel-forming connexin (Cx) isoforms 26, 36, and 45 would be expressed on neurons in the subplate (SP) zone. RNA sequencing of dissected human cortical mantles at ages of 17–23 gestational weeks revealed that Cx45 has the highest expression, followed by Cx36 and Cx26. The levels of Cx and pannexin expression between male and female fetal cortices were not significantly different. Immunohistochemical analysis detected Cx45- and Cx26-expressing neurons in the upper segment of the SP zone. Cx45 was present on the cell bodies of human SP neurons, while Cx26 was found on both cell bodies and dendrites. Cx45, Cx36, and Cx26 were strongly expressed in the cortical plate, where newborn migrating neurons line up to form cortical layers. New information about the expression of 3 “neuronal” Cx isoforms in each cortical layer/zone (e.g., SP, cortical plate) and pharmacological data with cadmium and lanthanum may improve our understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying neuronal development in human fetuses and potential vulnerabilities.