Objectives: To find out whether there is a lipid profile changes in pregnant women with preeclampsia and if we can use these lipid profile changes as markers of the severity of preeclampsia (for follow up to avoid leaving the patient reaching ecplamptic stage).   Design: A prospective case-control study. Setting: AL- Kadhimiya Teaching hospital/department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Materials and Methods: The study included 120 pregnant women in the third trimester. They were divided into three groups. The study group consists of 60 preeclamptic and eclamptic women, 25 women had mild pre-eclampsia and 35 women with severe preeclampsia. The control group consists of 60 normotensive pregnant women. Blood sample was drown after 8-10 hours fasting. Triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were measured. Results: Triglyceride and VLDL-C level of severe Preeclampsia group and mild Preeclampsia group was higher than the control group, but the difference between the severe PE group and the control group was statistically significant (p<0.05). Serum cholesterol in the severe PE group was significantly higher than in mild PE group and in the control group (p<0.05). LDL-C and HDL-C levels were determined similarly in all groups (p>0.05). A highly significant positive correlation between the level of proteinuria and serum cholesterol levels, LDL-C, TG and VLDL-C levels. While there was significantly negative correlation between proteinuria and HDL-C levels. Also, a significant positive correlation between the systolic-tension and serum cholesterol levels, TG, VLDL-C levels and among the diastolic-tension and with LDL-C, TG, VLDL-C levels. Conclusion: Changes in levels of lipid profile are related with preeclampsia, especially with severe preeclampsia.

Background: There are many pregnancy complications that are significantly associated with the gender of the fetus; one of them is preterm labour, which is an important obstetric problem that may lead to many perinatal morbidity and mortality. Objective: To find out whether there is a relation between the findings of placental pathology of premature deliveries and gender difference. Patients and Methods: Fifty deliveries before a 32 week gestational age. Obstetrical, and placental histological findings have been compared among all males (n=25), and females (n=25) premature neonates. Results: The male premature fetus had distribution rate in maternal age, gestation age at the time of delivery, placental weight, and feto-placental weight-ratio in females, but a higher birth-weight centile ([55.09±11.3] versus [43.09±8.2]). Histopathology of the placenta found no significant association of fetal-sex with acute inflammatory lesions (p=0.09), intra-placental vascular pathological findings, or utero-placental vascular pathology. However, the chronic inflammatory lesion showed a higher pathological score in male fetuses than in the females (p=0.01). Conclusion: Premature deliveries with less than thirty-two weeks, the male fetal-sex had higher placental pathological lesions, suggesting maternal immunological responses towards the invading trophoblasts. The immunological background of these pathological lesions needs further studies. Keywords: Male fetal sex, placental pathology, premature delivery

Background: Despite the use of several strategies to prevent post-Cesarean complications including wound infections and endometritis, they remain high morbidities. Objective: To assess the pre-Cesarean preparation of the vagina with povidone iodine as a preventive measure against post-cesarean wound infection and endometritis. Patients and Methods: A case-control study conducted on 200 pregnant women who prepared for elective Cesarean section. The operations were conducted either with standard classical abdominal scrub alone (as control group) or vaginal povidone iodine preparation in addition to the standard abdominal scrub. Each woman was followed up post-operatively for development of fever, endometritis, and wound infection, duration of postoperative antibiotics administration, and postoperative stay. Results: Post-Cesarean endometritis developed in 6% of women who received a vaginal preparation pre-operatively and 15% of the controls. 30% of control women and 20% of women in the treatment group had post-operative febrile illness. Wound infections were uncommon complications that occurred only in two percent of the control patients and one percent of patient in the treatment group. Conclusion: Pre-operative vaginal treatment with povidone iodine decreased the risk of post -Cesarean endometritis. However, this protocol doesn't decrease the whole risk of postoperative wound infection or fever.