Objectives To estimate procedure-related risks of miscarriage following amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS) based on a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis.Methods A search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINHAL and The Cochrane Library (2000-2014)

Objective To measure the changes in the posterior fossa in first-trimester fetuses with open spina bifida (OSB).Methods The brain stem diameter and brain stem to occipital bone (BSOB) diameter were measured in stored images of the mid-sagittal view of the fetal face at 11 +0 to 13 +6 weeks from 30 fetuses with OSB and 1000 normal controls. ResultsIn the control group, the brain stem and BSOB diameter increased significantly with crown-rump length (CRL) and the brain stem to BSOB ratio decreased. In the spina bifida group, the brain stem diameter was above the 95th percentile of the control group in 29 (96.7%) cases, the BSOB diameter was below the 5th percentile in 26 (86.7%) and the brain stem to BSOB ratio was above the 95th percentile in all cases.Conclusions At 11 to 13 weeks the majority of fetuses with OSB have measurable abnormalities in the posterior brain.

In women with twin pregnancy, routine treatment with cervical pessary does not reduce the rate of spontaneous early preterm birth.

Among girls and women with singleton pregnancies who had a short cervix, a cervical pessary did not result in a lower rate of spontaneous early preterm delivery than the rate with expectant management. (Funded by the Fetal Medicine Foundation; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN01096902.).

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