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.

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.

Background and Objectives: Forceps delivery is a crucial obstetrical technique that has become increasingly underutilized in favor of cesarean delivery, despite the numerous complications related to cesarean sections. The major concerns with regard to assisted vaginal birth (AVB) are safety and long-term consequences. We aimed to investigate a neurological outcome of neonates and children at the age of 7 who were born via forceps delivery. This would greatly improve informed decision making for both mothers and obstetricians. Materials and Methods: A single-arm cohort study was conducted from January 2012 to December 2016 among 49 women and their children born via forceps delivery at the Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Clinical Center of Serbia. The Sarnat and Sarnat classification was used to evaluate the neurological status of neonates, and logistic regression analysis was employed to explore the association with perinatal factors. Long-term neurological outcomes were assessed using the Griffiths Mental Development Scale and a questionnaire for parents based on the Motor and Social Development (MSD) scale, which was derived from the Bayley-III Scale. Results: The main indication for forceps delivery was maternal exhaustion (79.6%), followed by fetal distress (20.4%). A pathological neurological status was observed in 16.3% of newborns, with pathological ultrasound of the CNS in 3%. A statistically significant association was observed with the Apgar score, with an odds ratio of 0.575 (95% CI: 0.407–0.813, p = 0.002) and perinatal asphyxia, with an odds ratio of 9.882 (95% CI: 1.111–87.902, p = 0.04). However, these associations were unlikely to be related to the mode of delivery. Long-term adverse neurological outcomes were seen in three cases, which accounts for 6.4%. These included mild disorders such as delayed milestone, speech delay, and motor clumsiness. Conclusions: The present study highlights the safety of forceps delivery regarding children’s neurological outcomes at 7 years of age. This is an important contribution to the modern management of labor, especially in light of increasing rates of cesarean deliveries worldwide.

Congenital anomalies of the reproductive system represent a heterogeneous group of structural and functional abnormalities affecting both male and female genital organs. These anomalies typically arise during embryogenesis and may remain asymptomatic until they are incidentally identified during evaluation for infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, or disorders of sexual development. In females, abnormalities include Müllerian duct anomalies and congenital malformations of the uterus, cervix, vagina, and ovaries, such as Mayer–Rokitansky–Küster–Hauser syndrome, septate, unicornuate, bicornuate, and didelphys uteri, and ovarian agenesis and undescended ovaries. In males, congenital conditions such as anorchia, cryptorchidism, hypospadias, ejaculatory duct obstruction, and ejaculatory dysfunction may be associated with impaired spermatogenesis and reduced fertility. Early recognition of these conditions may facilitate timely clinical evaluation and individualized management, which can include surgical correction, hormonal therapy, and reproductive counseling. When appropriate, early diagnosis may support multidisciplinary care, with the aim of optimizing sexual development, preserving reproductive potential, and reducing long-term morbidity associated with congenital anomalies. However, the clinical impact of early detection varies depending on the type and severity of the anomaly. A systematic and multidisciplinary approach may contribute to improved reproductive outcomes and better overall reproductive health in affected individuals. Further research is needed to better define the optimal timing and clinical utility of systematic evaluation strategies in this patient population.

Introduction: Intrauterine fetal death (IFD) is death of fetus after the 20th week of gestation. Despite regular monitoring, the incidence of IFD remains high. This study aims to assess the incidence and risk factors for IFD in term pregnancies for better prevention and reduction of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted with term pregnant women diagnosed with IFD. The analysis included the number of deliveries, live births, and stillbirths. Statistical analysis involves descriptive and analytical statistical methods. Results: Average age was 30 years. Most patients had intermediate and high education, and one-third of patients had regular pregnancy monitoring. 53.33% were primiparous, and pregnancies occurred spontaneously. IFD mainly occurred in the 39th week of gestation. The average birth weight was approximately 3000g. 38.3% had one to two associated diseases, 5% more than three, and 56.7% were healthy. Recurrence of IFD was reported by 10% of patients, while 8.33% had a history of spontaneous abortion. Over 80% of placental histopathological findings indicated some pathology (infarction, infections, abruptio placenta). Conclusion: The most significant risk factors were pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders, obesity, and diabetes, followed by hypothyroidism, maternal tachycardia, and anemia.

Background/Objectives: Forceps delivery is a crucial obstetrical technique that has been increasingly underutilized in favor of cesarean delivery, despite numerous complications related to cesarean section. The major concerns in assisted vaginal birth (AVB) are the safety and long-term consequences. Thus, we aimed to investigate the neurodevelopmental outcome of children born with forceps delivery up to the age of seven. Methods: A prospective descriptive study was conducted from January 2011 to December 2016 among 49 women from our department in the Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Clinical Center of Serbia. The study included women with term singleton cephalic pregnancies. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the baseline demographic and clinical features, whereas the logistic regression analysis was used to explore the association between various perinatal parameters and neurological status of newborns. The Sarnat and Sarnat classification was used to evaluate neurological status of newborns, while long-term neurodevelopmental outcome was assesed with Griffiths Mental Development Scale and additional questions based on the neurologist's clinical practice and experience. Results: Pathological neurological status of the newborn was found in 16.3%, with pathological ultrasound of CNS in 3%. A statistically significant association was observed with Apgar score, odds ratio of 0.575 (95% CI: 0.407–0.813, p = 0.002) and perinatal asphyxia, odds ratio of 9.882 (95% CI: 1.111–87.902, p = 0.04). However, this was unlikely to be related to the mode of delivery. Long-term adverse neurological outcome was seen in three cases, which accounts for 6.4%. These included mild disorders, such as delayed milestone, speech delay and motor clumsiness. Conclusion: The present study highlights the safety of forceps delivery regarding children's neurological outcomes at 7 years of age. This is an important contribution to the modern management of labor, especially in light of increasing rates of cesarean deliveries worldwide.