Colonization by Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is highly prevalent among pregnant women, with prevalence rates ranging between 4% and 30%. The infection may be transmitted vertically and may result in serious neonatal consequences. In the period from November 2003 to May 2004, a cross-sectional study was carried out among 316 parturients at the Jundiaí Teaching Hospital to establish the prevalence of genital GBS colonization, to identify the factors associated with colonization and the characteristic phenotypes of these streptococci. Samples from rectal and vaginal areas were collected for selective culture in Todd-Hewitt broth. Susceptibility to 7 antimicrobial agents was tested using the antibiotic diffusion disk technique, and the isolated strains were classified using specific antisera. The prevalence of GBS colonization was 14.6%. No strain was resistant to penicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin or nitrofurantoin. The majority of strains were sensitive to cephalothin. Greatest resistance was to gentamicin (76.1%), followed by clindamycin (17.4%). The most frequent serotype was Ib (23.9%), followed by serotypes II and Ia (19.6% and 17.4%, respectively). There was no correlation between serotype and greater antimicrobial resistance. In conclusion, the prevalence of GBS in parturients was high and penicillin continues to be the drug of choice for intrapartum prophylaxis. The most frequent serotype (Ib) found in this study differs from those found in the majority of studies carried out in other countries, revealing the need to identify prevalent serotypes in each region so that specific vaccines can be designed.

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with a vaginal second delivery in women who had one previous cesarean section. METHODS: A nested case-control study was carried out as a secondary data analysis of an original retrospective, population-based cohort study of women who delivered their first child during 1985 in the city of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, and who were interviewed 10 years later in 1995. The study population consisted of 1 352 women who had their first delivery by cesarean section and who had also had at least one subsequent delivery. The group of cases (150 women, around 11% of the sample) consisted of women who had a vaginal second delivery, and the control group was made up of 1 202 women who had a cesarean section at second delivery. For each possible associated factor we calculated the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. For ordered categorical variables the c² test for trend was used. Unconditional multivariate regression analysis was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio for each associated factor. RESULTS: The factors significantly associated with vaginal delivery were monthly family income below 5-fold the Brazilian minimum monthly wage, reliance on the Brazilian national health system for healthcare, low maternal age, and first cesarean section indicated because of fetal breech or transverse presentation, or twin pregnancy. Among those women who also had a cesarean section at their second delivery, only 11% had undergone a trial of labor. CONCLUSIONS: The main determining factors for a vaginal second delivery in women with a previous cesarean section were unfavorable social and economic factors.

OBJETIVO: Determinar qué factores se asocian con el parto vaginal en mujeres que han tenido una cesárea. MÉTODOS: Un estudio anidado de casos y testigos se llevó a cabo en forma de un análisis de datos secundarios procedentes de un estudio de cohorte -original, retrospectivo y de carácter poblacional- en mujeres que tuvieron su primer hijo en 1985 en la ciudad de Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil, y que fueron entrevistadas 10 años más tarde, en 1995. La población estudiada se compuso de 1 352 mujeres cuyo primer hijo había nacido por cesárea y que también habían tenido como mínimo un parto posterior. El grupo de los casos (150 mujeres, o alrededor de 11% de la muestra) estuvo integrado por mujeres que tuvieron su segundo parto por la vía vaginal, y el grupo testigo se compuso de 1 202 mujeres que tuvieron su segundo parto por cesárea. Para cada uno de los posibles factores asociados se calcularon la razón de posibilidades y el intervalo de confianza de 95%. Se aplicó la prueba de tendencias de ji al cuadrado para analizar las variables categóricas. Se usó una regresión multifactorial incondicionada para estimar las razones de posibilidades ajustadas correspondientes a cada factor asociado. RESULTADOS: Los factores que mostraron una asociación estadísticamente significativa con el parto vaginal fueron un ingreso familiar mensual menor de cinco veces el salario mínimo mensual en el Brasil; depender del sistema nacional de salud brasileño para obtener atención sanitaria; poca edad materna; y una primera cesárea efectuada por presentación de nalgas o transversal, o por embarazo gemelar. Del grupo de mujeres que también tuvieron un segundo parto por cesárea, solamente 11% habían hecho un esfuerzo por tener un parto vaginal. CONCLUSIONES: El principal factor que determina el parto vaginal en mujeres que ya habían tenido una cesárea fue la presencia de factores sociales y económicos adversos.

OBJETIVO: avaliar a concordância entre o peso fetal estimado (PFE) por ultra-sonografia e o neonatal, o desempenho da curva normal de PFE por idade gestacional no diagnóstico de desvios do peso fetal/neonatal e fatores associados. MÉTODOS: participaram do estudo 186 grávidas atendidas de novembro de 1998 a janeiro de 2000, com avaliação ultra-sonográfica até 3 dias antes do parto, determinação do PFE e do índice de líquido amniótico e parto na instituição. O PFE foi calculado e classificado de acordo com a curva de valores normais de PFE em: pequeno para a idade gestacional (PIG), adequado para a idade gestacional (AIG) e grande para a idade gestacional (GIG). A mesma classificação foi feita para o peso neonatal. A variabilidade das medidas e o grau de correlação linear entre o PFE e o peso neonatal foram calculados, bem como a sensibilidade, especificidade e valores preditivos para o uso da curva de valores normais de PFE para o diagnóstico dos desvios do peso neonatal. RESULTADOS: diferença entre o PFE e o peso neonatal variou entre -540 e +594 g, com média de +47,1 g, e as duas medidas apresentaram um coeficiente de correlação linear de 0,94. A curva normal de PFE teve sensibilidade de 100% e especificidade de 90,5% em detectar PIG ao nascimento, e de 94,4 e 92,8%, respectivamente, em detectar GIG, porém os valores preditivos positivos foram baixos para ambos. CONCLUSÕES: a estimativa ultra-sonográfica do peso fetal foi concordante com o peso neonatal, superestimando-o em apenas cerca de 47 g e a curva do PFE teve bom desempenho no rastreamento diagnóstico de recém-nascidos PIG e GIG.

PURPOSE: tocompare the ultrasound estimation of fetal weight (EFW) with neonatal weight and to evaluate the performance of the normal EFW curve according to gestational age for the diagnosis of fetal/neonatal weight deviation and associated factors. METHODS: one hundred and eighty-six pregnant women who delivered at the institution from November 1998 to January 2000 and who had one ultra-sonographic evaluation performed until three days prior to delivery with estimation of the amniotic fluid index were included. EFW was calculated and classified in to small for gestational age (SGA), adequate for gestational age (AGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) through the normal EFW curve for this population. Neonatal weight was similarly classified. The variability of the measures and the degree of linear correlation between EFW and neonatal weight, as well as sensitivity, specificity and predictive values for the use of the normal EFW curve in the diagnosis of neonatal weight deviations were calculated. RESULTS: the difference between EFW and neonatal weight ranged from -540 to +594 g, with a mean of +46.9 g, and the two measures presented a linear correlation coefficient of 0.94. The normal EFW curve had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 90.5% in detecting SGA neonates and of 94.4 and 92.8%, respectively, in detecting LGA; however, the predictive positive values were low for both conditions. CONCLUSIONS:ultrasound EFW was in agreement with the neonatal weight, with a mean overweight of approximately 47 g, and its normal curve showed a good performance in the screening of SGA and LGA neonates.

Objetivo: avaliar a via de parto em um grupo de gestantes primíparas de baixa renda com uma cesárea anterior e os fatores associados à repetição da cesárea no segundo parto. Pacientes e Métodos: realizou-se um estudo caso-controle com 356 gestantes atendidas de janeiro de 1993 a janeiro de 1996 na Maternidade do CAISM/UNICAMP. Constituíram os casos as 153 gestantes que tiveram o segundo parto por cesárea, e os controles, as 203 que tiveram o segundo parto vaginal. Para a análise utilizaram-se médias, desvio padrão, teste t de Student, teste de Mann-Whitney, chi² e "odds ratio" (OR) e IC 95% para cada possível fator associado à realização de cesárea no segundo parto. Resultados: a via do segundo parto foi vaginal em 57% das vezes. Dentre as diversas variáveis estudadas, as que mostraram estar significativamente associadas à realização de cesárea no segundo parto foram: maior idade materna (para mulheres com 35 anos ou mais, OR = 16,4), antecedente de abortamento (OR = 2,09), indução do trabalho de parto (OR = 3,83), rotura prematura de membranas (OR = 2 ,83), a não-realização de analgesia durante o período de dilatação (OR = 5,3), o diagnóstico de algum sinal de vitalidade fetal alterada (OR = 2,7) e a ocorrência do parto à tarde (OR = 1,92). Conclusões: os resultados indicam que os fatores associados à repetição de cesárea em mulheres com uma cicatriz de cesárea nesta população são predominantemente médicos, mas há a possibilidade de se proporem intervenções dirigidas a diminuir o índice de repetição de cesáreas.

Purpose: to evaluate the route of delivery in a group of low-income primipara pregnant women with a previous cesarean section, and the factors associated with the repetition of the cesarean section on the second delivery. Patients and Methods: it was a case-control study including 356 women who were assisted at the Maternity of CAISM/UNICAMP during the period between January 1993 and January 1996. The cases were 153 women whose second delivery was through a cesarean section and the controls were 203 women whose second delivery was vaginal. For analysis, means, standard deviation, Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney test, chi² test and odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI for each factor possibly associated with cesarean section on the second delivery were used. Results: the route of the second delivery was vaginal for 57% of the women. Among the several variables studied, those which showed to be significantly associated with a cesarean section on the second delivery were: higher maternal age (for women over 35 years, OR = 16.4), previous abortions (OR = 2.09), induced labor (OR = 3,83), premature rupture of membranes (OR = 2.83), not having an epidural analgesia performed during labor (OR = 5.3), the finding of some alteration in fetal well-being (OR = 2.7) and the delivery occurring during the afternoon (OR = 1.92). Conclusions: these results indicate that the factors associated with the repetition of cesarean section in women with a previous scar of cesarean section in this population are predominantly medical; however, there is still the possibility of proposing interventions directed to decreasing the rates of repeated cesarean sections.