The impact of mutations affecting microtubule-associated motor proteins on the morphology and cytology of hyphae of Neurospora crassa was studied. Two ropy mutants, ro-1 and ro-3, deficient in dynein and dynactin, respectively, were examined by video-enhanced phase-contrast microscopy and image analysis. In contrast to the regular, hyphoid morphology of wild-type ...

The aim of this study was to assess the variability in individual fetal growth rhythms in comparison to averaged standard curves obtained from cross-sectional data. Biparietal diameter (BDP), abdominal transverse diameter (ATD) and femur length (FL) were measured by ultrasonography in 24 normal subjects, and the variance in growth rates ...

Many cases of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) result from placental insufficiency, but the molecular signals accompanying this event are unknown. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a potent mitogen for fetal tissues and is lowered in the serum of human infants with IUGR. The rabbit provides an optimal model for ...

Newborns with in utero cranial vault molding can present with severe forms of plagiocephaly. Intrauterine constraint has been proposed as one cause for craniosynostosis. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate whether rigid plate fixation across a fetal cranial suture, representing a severe form of growth restriction in utero, ...

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The maternal administration of steroids promotes fetal maturative effects in the gastrointestinal tract. To determine if fetal insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) expression is altered in response to maternal dexamethasone administration, this rabbit model of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) was utilized. METHODS: Eight pregnant rabbits received either dexamethasone (Dex 0.1 ...

The aim of this article was the morphological, topographical and metric illustration of the growth of the swine auricle during the prenatal period. The experiment was conducted on 188 pig fetuses of known ages (42nd-115th day of gestation), divided into seven age groups. On the 42nd day of gestation the ...

Development of the sternum during the growth of the embryo is described. Anterior body wall defects in the thoracic region may be severe, leading to ectopia cordis, or mild, as in skin-covered sternal clefts. The embryologic basis for other sternal abnormalities, such as pectus excavatum and pectus carniatum, is not ...

The very slow rate of human fetal growth generates a lower incremental energy stress than in any other mammalian species. This creates a situation in which adaptive changes in metabolic rate and in the amount of additional maternal fat stored during gestation can make a profound difference to the overall ...

The human growth hormone (hGH)/human placental lactogen (hPL) gene family, which consists of two GH and three PL genes, is important in the regulation of maternal and fetal metabolism and the growth and development of the fetus. During pregnancy, pituitary GH (hGH-N) expression in the mother is suppressed; and hGH-V, ...

BACKGROUND: Most ultrasonographic fetal growth norms are derived from cross-sectional data or from longitudinal data treated as coming from cross-sectional studies, although only longitudinal models may detect particular aspects of fetal growth shape, such as peak of growth velocity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample included 238 singleton normal pregnancies. All ...

AIM: To examine the hypothesis that the maternal insulin-like growth factor system may constrain fetal growth. METHODS: A prospective observational study of maternal serum insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) and fetal growth was undertaken in neonates with birthweights below the 5th centile. They had been classified either as having ...

Intra Uterine Growth Retardation (IUGR) refers to insufficient fetal growth diagnosed either by two direct intrauterine growth assessment (ultra-sonography) or when the fetus or newborn length (height) is less than two standard deviations (or third percentile) below the mean for gestational age (NIKLASSON et. al. 1991; DE ZEGLER 1997). When ...

Appropriate nutrient partitioning between the maternal body and gravid uterus is essential for optimum fetal growth and neonatal survival, and in adult sheep nutrient partitioning during pregnancy generally favours the conceptus at the expense of the dam. However, recent studies using an overnourished adolescent sheep model demonstrate that the hierarchy ...

The gestational experience of a mother can influence the intrauterine environment she provides her own offspring, allowing prenatal events to affect pregnancy outcomes across several generations. Using a multigenerational database, we determined the reproductive consequences for rhesus monkeys descended from small-for-date and large-for-date birth weight matrilines. Both the maternal half-brothers ...

The role of growth hormone (GH) in amphibian metamorphosis is ambiguous based on experiments in which mammalian GH was administered to tadpoles and frogs. We have reexamined the effects of GH by producing transgenic Xenopus laevis that overexpress the cDNA encoding X. laevis GH. These transgenic tadpoles take the same ...

BACKGROUND: Fetal hypoxaemia is often a feature of fetal growth impairment. It has been suggested that perinatal outcome after suspected impaired fetal growth might be improved by giving mothers continuous oxygen until delivery. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to assess the effects of maternal oxygen therapy in suspected impaired fetal growth ...

Reproduction is the basic phenomenon of Biological activity. Like other living beings man has a desire to reproduce. Unlike others he can control reproduction at his will. From early vedic periods belonging to several centuries prior to Christian era, we find references concerning methods of controlling the population over growth. ...

BACKGROUND: Calcium channel blockers may increase the blood flow to the fetus or may improve fetal-placental cellular energy generation. This could enhance fetal growth. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this review were to assess the effects of calcium channel blockers on fetal growth and neonatal morbidity and mortality in pregnancies where ...

BACKGROUND: One way of attempting to improve fetal growth has been nutrient supplementation for the mother when fetal growth is impaired. Different nutrients such as carbohydrates and amino acids have been suggested as treatments for impaired fetal growth. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review was to assess the effects of ...

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that oestrogens may improve fetal growth due to an increase in nutritional supply to the fetus from greater uterine blood flow. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review was to assess the effects of hormone administration for suspected impaired fetal growth and perinatal outcome. SEARCH STRATEGY: ...

The hypothesis of the present study was that the infusion of the biological fluids to which the developing gut is normally exposed (i.e. amniotic fluid, colostrum, milk) and a single growth factor (gastrin-releasing peptide), which is found in high concentrations in fetal fluids and milk, could ameliorate the altered growth ...

Restricting this review to dealing with pregnancy and its interaction with neoplasms limits us to the child-bearing years. Neoplasms may appear at all stages of species with true tissues and the incidence of malignancy in pregnancy is estimated to be 1:1,000. Almost 50% of these tumors are cervical cancers, followed ...

The aim of this study was to examine whether, in pregnancies with severe early onset fetal growth restriction, the number of fetal erythroblasts in maternal blood is increased. The percentage of fetal erythroblasts in maternal blood, enriched by triple density gradient centrifugation and anti-CD71 magnetic cell sorting, was determined in ...

BACKGROUND: It has been previously demonstrated that intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) due to vascular insufficiency in humans results in newborn infants with marked loss of subcutaneous fat and decreased content of differentiation-specific epidermal structural proteins. OBJECTIVE: In this study, the teratogenic effects of impaired maternal blood flow were investigated histologically ...

The article presents the investigation of histomorphological differentiation and growth of parathyroid glands in human fetus from the second to the ninth lunar month. The longer and the shorter diameter of these glands were measured. The obtained values are compared with the development and the growth intensity of the skeleton ...

Leptin has recently been implicated as having a role in sexual maturation and reproduction. This review describes recent findings regarding the putative reproductive functions of leptin within the context of the attainment of sufficient long-term fuel reserves to sustain and support pregnancy and lactation. The review considers the evidence, within ...

The low density lipoprotein receptor plays an important role in the uptake of maternal plasma lipoproteins for placental steroid metabolism. Using an RNase protection assay, the expression of low density lipoprotein receptor mRNA was measured in human placentas from pregnancies in the second and third trimester and from pregnancies with ...

Insulin-like growth factors and their binding proteins are key regulators of fetal and maternal tissue growth and development during human pregnancy. Insulin-like growth factors, particularly IGF-II, are produced in abundance by the trophoblast cells of the placenta, whereas one of the insulin-like growth factor binding proteins, IGFBP-1, is the major ...

The prenatal development of the human pelvic bone and acetabulum has been studied by means of classical histology and microradiography. The embryonic phase leads to a fully developed hip within 8 weeks of gestation. The fetal period is a growth phase, including the following main features: endochondral ossification of the ...

This observational study was done to discover the prevalence of fetal malnutrition (FM) in term newborns using clinical assessment of nutritional status (CANS score) and to identify associated risk factors. All term babies born in a referral teaching hospital during the 1-year study period were included in the sample. Gestational ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether in vitro secretion of two vasoactive peptides, endothelin and parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP), is different in decidua from pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) than in normal pregnancies. METHODS: In ten IUGR and nine gestational age-matched control pregnancies, decidua was collected at delivery and explants ...

Gigantomastia during pregnancy is a rare occurrence that is usually resolved by postpartum involution or surgical reduction. The authors present a patient that illustrates rapid enlargement of the breast that caused decreased fetal growth and skin breakdown, and ultimately resulted in total surgical removal of the breast tissue and reconstruction.

An increasing series of pediatric endocrinopathies and metabolic anomalies has been recognized as related to reduced prenatal growth. We have tested whether the association of precocious pubarche (PP), dyslipidemia, and low serum IGF binding protein-1 in girls is also related to reduced prenatal growth. Fasting serum lipids, lipoproteins, and IGFBP-1 ...

Brachmann-de Lange syndrome is characterized by pre- and postnatal growth retardation, microbrachycephaly, hirsutism, various visceral and limb anomalies and a typical face. A sonographic prenatal diagnosis at mid-trimester is reported in a case of severe, symmetrical fetal growth delay at 20 weeks gestation, with a thickened skin on the forehead, ...

OBJECTIVE: In normal pregnancy there is both a neutrophilia and a mild neutrophil activation. In preeclampsia both direct and indirect evidence supports further marked neutrophil activation. In the pathogenesis of preeclampsia peripheral blood neutrophils may play a vital role in communicating between the preeclamptic placenta and the maternal vascular endothelium ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether gravidograms and fetal growth curves should be customized, i.e. tailor made for a specific ethnic group. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 800 pregnant Xhosa women attending antenatal care in the Eastern Cape Province (South Africa). The data measured was used to compare the correlation between the ...

The association between maternal diabetes mellitus and congenital anomalies is well established. Congenital malformations in the offspring of diabetic mothers account for approximately forty percent of perinatal deaths. The aim of the study was to identify incidence of early embryonal delay in diabetic and normal pregnancies, and to examine relationship ...

Singapore provides a rich environment for investigations into ethnic differences in pregnancy outcome, as it is populated by Malays, Indians, and Chinese. Years of clinical practice and obstetric research in this environment have affirmed the observation that many factors interact in determining length of gestation and birth weight, and that ...

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their receptors in the fetus are essential for growth and postnatal survival but the role of maternal IGFs is less well understood. Animal and in vitro evidence suggests that maternal IGF-I may have important effects on placental function. Recent work in humans suggests that although ...

It is clear from the many studies of the prenatally exposed survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that exposure to ionizing radiation during gestation has harmful effects on the developing human brain, particularly if that exposure occurs at critical stages in the development of the neocortex. Data ...

CONTEXT: Intrauterine growth retard (IUGR) continues to be a significant perinatology problem at the end of this century. The nature of the etiologic agent, the time when the attack occurred during pregnancy and its duration affect the type of IUGR. OBJECTIVE: To study the evolution of fetal pancreas and placenta ...

The transition from fetus to neonate involves three phases: late gestation, parturition and the processes needed to establish independent homoeostatic regulation after separation from the placenta. These phases are regulated by a series of fetal and placental endocrine events. Glucocorticoids have an important role in the preparation for birth, including ...

OBJECTIVE: To study fetal weight gain and its association with adverse perinatal events in a serially scanned high-risk population. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 200 pregnant women considered at increased risk of uteroplacental insufficiency had a total of 1140 scans in the third trimester, with a median of six ...

In investigating mechanisms underlying intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), circulating melatonin and cortisol were radioimmunoassayed. Blood samples were collected every 4 hours during 24 hours on a strict 24-hour standardized routine in hospital from two groups of women in their third trimester of pregnancy. One group consisted of 14 healthy, uncomplicated ...

Inappropriate maternal nutrient intake at key developmental timepoints during ovine pregnancy has a profound influence on the outcome of pregnancy and aspects of postnatal productivity. However, the responses to alterations in maternal nutrition in adult sheep are often highly variable and inconsistent between studies. The growing adolescent sheep provides a ...

The phenomenon of maternal transfer of photic information to their young ones is still an enigma. Existing reports in some rodents of temperate zone suggest that photoperiodic condition experienced by mother during their gestation period influences the pineal physiology of fetus, but nothing has been reported about the growth and ...

Uteroplacental and fetoplacental arteries produce substantial amounts of prostacyclin (PGI2). Because angiogenic growth factors such as basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) are increased in pregnancy, we hypothesized that treatment of uterine and fetoplacental arteries with bFGF, VEGF, and EGF would ...

The objective of this study was to classify intrauterine growth-retarded (IUGR) newborn babies from an urban region in Brazil into four different subtypes, according to their weight, length, and ponderal index (PI). Three hundred and fifty-six (356) babies were differentiated by this classification into IUGR subtypes A (short length and ...

Fetal growth requires the correct balance of nutrients, oxygen, and growth factors operating under the direction of a genetic plan modified by maternal factors. The classic hormones of postnatal growth play differing roles with alternative controls compared to those after birth. The study of conditions of abnormal fetal growth illuminates ...

Perturbations of the maternal environment involve an abnormal intrauterine milieu for the developing fetus. The altered fuel supply (depends on substrate availability, placental transport of nutrients and uteroplacental blood flow) from mother to fetus induces alterations in the development of the fetal endocrine pancreas and adaptations of the fetal metabolism ...