- For pregnancies at more than 16 weeks of gestation the term low-lying placenta should be used when the placental edge is less than 20 mm from the internal os on transabdominal or transvaginal scanning (TVS).

If the distance between the internal os and the placental edge is 20 mm or more on TVS, the placental location should be recorded as normal and managed as per routine

• The term placenta praevia should be used when the placenta lies directly over the internal os.

The UK National Screening Committee examined the issue of strategies recommended that routine screening using bacteriological culture or near-patient testing techniques should not be introduced into UK practice.

The US Guidelines advise that all pregnant women should be offered screening for GBS carriage at 35–37 weeks of gestation and those found to be colonised with GBS should be offered intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis.

• Anthracyline regimens are safe
• There are fewer data on taxanes, which should be reserved for high-risk (node-positive) or metastatic disease.
• Tamoxifen is not used until after delivery.
• Trastuzumab  is contraindicated during pregnancy.
• Haemopoietic growth factors (granulocyte colony stimulating factor) may be employed to ameliorate chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.

The six elements considered to be reflective of good care are:
 Consultant obstetrician planning and directly supervising delivery.
 Consultant anaesthetist planning and directly supervising anaesthesia at delivery.
 Blood and blood products available.
 Multidisciplinary involvement in preoperative planning.
 Discussion and consent, including possible interventions (such as hysterectomy, leaving the placenta in situ, cell
salvage and interventional radiology).
 Local availability of a level 2 critical care bed.

According to the RCOG- Any lack of compliance with the care bundle by the clinical team for a woman with either placenta praevia or accreta
should be investigated.

According to MBBRACE-UK 2014 to 2016- Women who have had a previous caesarean section who also have either placenta praevia or an anterior placenta underlying the old caesarean section scar at 32 weeks of gestation are at increased risk of placenta accreta and should be managed as if they have placenta accreta, with appropriate preparations for surgery made.

• If the history suggests that the reaction described is not likely to be allergic in nature then penicillin should be given.
• If the history suggests an allergy to beta-lactams, but one that is not severe(i.e. no anaphylaxis, angioedema, respiratory distress or urticaria), then a cephalosporin can be administered.
• If the allergy to beta-lactams is severe then intravenous vancomycin is recommended.

Risk of anal sphincter injury in women undergoing VBAC is 5%.

Birthweight is the strongest predictor of anal sphincter injury in women undergoing VBAC.

The recommended dose is - 3 g intravenous benzylpenicillin be given as soon as possible after the onset of labour  and 1.5 g 4 hourly until delivery.
The first dose should be given at least 4 hours prior to delivery.

GBS is present in the bowel flora of 20–40% of adults (this is called ‘colonisation’). People who are colonised are called
‘carriers’. This includes pregnant women (there is no evidence that its carriage rate is specifically affected by pregnancy).

• IAP( Intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis)  is recommended for women in confirmed preterm labour.  The risk of GBS infection is higher with preterm delivery and the mortality rate from infection is increased (20–30% versus 2–3% at term). For this reason, IAP is recommended for women in confirmed preterm labour.
• There is no evidence that intrapartum vaginal cleansing will reduce the risk of neonatal GBS disease.
• Polymerase chain reaction or other near-patient testing at the onset of labour is not recommended.

It should be done at 32–34 weeks of gestation for women with twins.

The recommended time of testing is 3–5 weeks prior to the anticipated delivery date- therefore  35–37 weeks of gestation in singleton pregnancies with no risk factors for preterm delivery.

Caesarean section is the recommended mode of delivery in cases of cord prolapse when vaginal birth is not imminent in order to prevent hypoxic acidosis.
Category 2 caesarean birth can be considered for women in whom the fetal heart rate pattern is normal, but continuous assessment of the fetal heart trace is essential.

In case of cord prolapse in advanced labor , delivery should be expedited.

A document on categories of Caesarean section can be found here-CLICK HERE

The RAADP scheme should be regarded as supplementary to any anti-D Ig administered for sensitising episodes.

Planned VBAC is associated with an approximately 1 in 200 (0.5%)
risk of uterine rupture