The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM)

The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM)

The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine supports the clinical practice of maternal-fetal medicine by providing education, promoting research, and engaging in advocacy to optimize the health of high-risk pregnant women and their babies.

Articles by The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM)

The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) 2021 Annual Pregnancy Meeting will be held virtually throughout the month of January, with core meeting activities taking place Jan. 25-30. SMFM’s President, Judette Louis, MD, MPH, and Program Committee Chair, Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, MD, MSc, tell readers what they can expect in the new online format.

Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a complication in which an early pregnancy implants in the scar from a prior cesarean delivery. Incidence and recognition of this condition appear to have increased over the past two decades, perhaps due to high worldwide cesarean delivery rates. The clinical presentation is variable, and many women are asymptomatic at presentation. CSP can be difficult to diagnose in a timely fashion. Ultrasound is the primary imaging modality for CSP diagnosis. Expectantly managed CSP is associated with high rates of severe maternal morbidity such as hemorrhage, placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), and uterine rupture. Given these substantial risks, pregnancy termination is recommended after CSP diagnosis. Several surgical and medical treatments have been described for this disorder, but at this time, optimal management remains uncertain.

Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a complication in which an early pregnancy implants in the scar from a prior cesarean delivery. Incidence and recognition of this condition appear to have increased over the past two decades, perhaps due to high worldwide cesarean delivery rates. The clinical presentation is variable, and many women are asymptomatic at presentation. CSP can be difficult to diagnose in a timely fashion. Ultrasound is the primary imaging modality for CSP diagnosis. Expectantly managed CSP is associated with high rates of severe maternal morbidity such as hemorrhage, placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), and uterine rupture. Given these substantial risks, pregnancy termination is recommended after CSP diagnosis. Several surgical and medical treatments have been described for this disorder, but at this time, optimal management remains uncertain.