Premature rupture of membranes (PROM) is a common pregnancy complication and is associated with significant risks of fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. However, there is a lack of data concerning PROM in China. We investigated the incidence rate and analysed the influence of PROM on fetal and neonatal health. ...

This paper reviews the risks and benefits of using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in pregnant women. The effects of SSRI use on pregnant women and fetuses are discussed, and the need for SSRI treatment is explained. Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, teratogenic risks of SSRI treatment during pregnancy, ...

Pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs) are a large grouping of placental proteins that belong to the aspartic peptidase gene family. Although useful to detect pregnancy in ruminant species, the function of these molecules is unclear. Several PAGs expressed by trophoblast binucleate cells can enter the maternal circulation, suggesting that they could have ...

The purpose of this study was to identify maternal and neonatal characteristics affecting marked neonatal neutropenia in pregnancies complicated by hypertension. A single institution retrospective chart review over 2 years of singleton and multifetal pregnancies with hypertensive disorders meeting American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists criteria was performed. Neutropenia and ...

Maternal body mass index has an impact on maternal and fetal pregnancy outcome. An increased maternal BMI is known to be associated with admission of the newborn to a neonatal care unit. The reasons and impact of this admission on fetal outcome, however, are unknown so far. The aim of ...

PURPOSE: To estimate the frequency of fetal programming phenotypes among women with low BMI and the success of these programming patterns-to determine if small for gestational age (SGA) is a biologically adaptive mechanism to improve chances for infant survival. METHODS: We examined the frequency of fetal programming phenotypes: SGA, large ...

The study was arranged to assess the actual rates of colonization of pregnant women and their children with group B streptococcus (GBS) in a Polish university hospital. Resistance of these cocci to macrolides and clindamycin was also tested and routes of transmission of GBS were followed in some cases using ...

Histoarchitectural characteristics of the human placenta place the fetus at a high risk of growth restriction, abnormal fetomaternal cell traffic, and vertical transmission of pathogens. These abnormalities of the fetomaternal unit are frequently associated with hematological abnormalities in the fetus/neonate and may be the first, most common, or the only ...

Cardiotocography (CTG) is the most commonly used test for antepartum and intrapartum foetal surveillance in the majority hospitals of developed countries. The purpose of this study was to compare the pregnancy outcome and early neonatal outcome among the normal and abnormal CTG groups. In this prospective study, fifty consecutive normal ...

The spectrum of organisms causing sepsis is different in developing countries. Data on the recent trends of organisms causing sepsis are limited. This study was conducted in a tertiary care neonatal unit in Northern India. All inborn babies with blood-culture-positive sepsis from 1995 to 2006 were divided into two epochs, ...

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) may complicate pregnancy and, uncommonly, may cause severe neonatal thrombocytopenia. However, it is difficult to predict which neonates are at risk of severe thrombocytopenia. Direct fetal sampling is not commonly done, as it poses significant risks to the fetus. Furthermore, appropriate antenatal treatment of neonates is ...

Several of my pregnant patients use diuretics for hypertension. I have heard that diuretics cannot be used in pregnancy because of the reduction of plasma volume and the potential for decreasing placental perfusion, as well as a possible diabetogenic effect. Many studies--including a meta-analysis of almost 7000 neonates exposed to ...

The design, safety analysis and performance of a fetal visual stimulation system suitable for fetal and neonatal magnetoencephalography studies are presented. The issue of fetal, neonatal and maternal safety is considered and the maximum permissible exposure is computed for the maternal skin and the adult eye. The risk for neonatal ...

This article presents the case of a female newborn with irritability, increased tonus, jitteriness, and eating difficulties who was referred to our institution. Her mother had been taking fluoxetine (20 mg daily) during the second and third trimesters of her pregnancy. The infant's signs began on the first day after ...

BACKGROUND: Antenatal corticosteroid administration to premature, growth restricted fetuses may not be beneficial and even have adverse effects on neonatal outcome. AIMS: To determine if preterm growth restricted fetuses benefit from antenatal corticosteroids. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: All singleton pregnancies with growth restricted fetuses delivered at our department ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine associations of neonatal adiposity with maternal glucose levels and cord serum C-peptide in a multicenter multinational study, the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) Study, thereby assessing the Pederson hypothesis linking maternal glycemia and fetal hyperinsulinemia to neonatal adiposity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Eligible pregnant women underwent ...

We compared neonatal characteristics and adverse outcome rates of neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy following (1) prolonged partial asphyxia, (2) acute near-total intrapartum asphyxia, and (3) the two combined. The time course of the insult was determined individually by two authors from obstetric data and neonatal charts. "Severe adverse outcome" was ...

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to assess perinatal outcome of pregnancy burdened with maternal addiction in comparison with an unselected population from a European transition country. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data on pregnancies complicated by illicit drug abuse (n = 85) managed during a 10-year period (1997-2007) at Split ...

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to present a possible association between maternal hypercalcemia and fetal polyhydramnion. STUDY DESIGN: Five cases of maternal hypercalcemia were diagnosed with otherwise unexplained fetal polyhydramnion. Cases are outlined; maternal and fetal/neonatal investigation, treatment, and outcome are presented. RESULTS: Fetal polyhydramnion was identified sonographically (mean amniotic ...

OBJECTIVES: Blood gas monitoring is necessary in treatment of critically ill neonates. Whereas SaO2 can be estimated by pulse oximetry, PaCO2 is still most often assessed from blood samples. AIM: To compare long time performance of an ear sensor for combined assessment of transcutaneous carbon dioxide (PtcCO2) and oxygen saturation ...

Oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) containing cytosine-phosphodiester-guanine (CpG-ODN) motifs have been shown to stimulate the innate immune system against a variety of bacterial and protozoan infections in a variety of vertebrate species. The objective of this study was to investigate the immunostimulatory effect of CpG-ODN in neonatal broilers against Salmonella Typhimurium septicemia. Day-old ...

OBJECTIVE: To estimate outcomes, to determine whether appropriate follow-up was performed for pregnant patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV), and to show that maternal and neonatal complications would be higher in the HCV-positive group. METHODS: We compared pregnant women from a drug dependence and treatment program who were HCV antibody-positive ...

In prevention of preterm labor, betamimetics are used in gynecological practice mostly combined with antiarrhythmic verapamil because of their therapeutic cardiovascular side effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of a betamimetic (ritodrine hydrochloride, fenoterol or hexoprenaline) and verapamil (administered to mothers) on the frequency of ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of early and late cord clamping (LCC) on neonatal hematocrit at 2 and 18 h of life. STUDY DESIGN: In this double-blind randomized trial, 64 healthy full-term vaginally born neonates were randomly allocated to either early (30 s) or late (3 min) umbilical cord clamping. ...

Thromboelastography (TEG) aids in monitoring a patient's global hemostatic system by measuring the rate of clot formation, clot strength, and stability. The usefulness of TEG in pediatric settings, especially with neonates, is limited owing to a lack of neonatal reference values. In this study, neonatal TEG reference intervals were developed ...

Intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) among term neonates is associated with neonatal death or lifelong disability. Between all the proposed aetiological mechanisms, including impairments in coagulation, hypoxic-ischemic injury and birth related trauma, thrombocytopenia seems to be the most important predictor of ICH among term neonates and is also associated with the most ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The present study summarizes the knowledge to date of the use of remifentanil in obstetric anaesthesia and analgesia. RECENT FINDINGS: Modest labour analgesia, particularly for the first stage, can be achieved using a patient-controlled analgesia bolus of 40 microg with a 2-min lockout. Neonatal effects are minimal; ...

OBJECTIVES: To identify symptoms in neonates exposed to antidepressants in late pregnancy and to propose a categorization of these symptoms to help clinical assessment of antidepressant effects in exposed neonates. METHODS: Data were extracted retrospectively from maternal and neonatal hospital charts. A total of 73 neonates exposed to antidepressant and ...

A 5-yr-old aardvark (Orycteropus afer) was presented with dystocia as a result of fetal oversize. A caesarian section was performed using the technique used in domestic dogs. Anesthesia was induced with medetomidine and ketamine and maintained with isoflurane. The neonate was initially unable to suckle because of swelling and paralysis ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of thrombocytopenia in neonates born to mothers with pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) and identify the associated material and neonatal characteristics. METHODS: In the current, prospective study, platelet counts were assessed serially. Maternal and neonatal characteristic were recorded in pre-designed proforma. Primary outcome measures were thrombocytopenia ...

Objectives. To study the dynamic behaviour of the nasal mucosa in neonates. Method. Although the nasal cycle has been described in adults,(1) studies regarding the nasal cycle physiology in neonates are scarce. Acoustic rhinometry (RHIN 2000 miniprobe) was carried out in ten neonates over periods ranging from 165 to 255 ...

The rare autosomal recessive disorder pyridoxine 5'-phosphate oxidase (PNPO) deficiency is a recently described cause of neonatal and infantile seizures. Clinical evaluation, and biochemical and genetic testing, were performed on a neonate with intractable seizures who did not respond to anticonvulsant drugs and pyridoxine. Sequencing of the PNPO gene revealed ...

OBJECTIVES: Neonatal hemochromatosis is the result of severe fetal liver injury that seems to result from maternal-fetal alloimmunity. Women who have had an infant affected with neonatal hemochromatosis are at high risk in subsequent pregnancies for having another affected infant. This study was designed to determine whether therapy directed at ...

Urapidil is a potent antihypertensive drug that has been in clinical use for more than 20 years. It has been proven to be an effective and well-tolerated antihypertensive drug during pregnancy, but clinical experiences with urapidil have been described in only a limited number of studies. There have also been ...

This study aimed to assess the perinatal outcome, especially foetal growth, following the continuation of metformin during the first trimester of pregnancy. All women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) treated with metformin in the first trimester and who delivered a baby weighing 500 g or more between 2003 and 2005 ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The management of opioid dependence during pregnancy has received considerable attention over the past three decades. Recent peer-reviewed literature in the fields of pregnancy and opioid dependence and neonatal abstinence syndrome has been evaluated and discussed. RECENT FINDINGS: Pregnant opioid-dependent women must be carefully managed to minimize ...

OBJECTIVE: Pregnancies complicated by a false-positive one-hour glucose challenge test (GCT), as determined by the National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG) criteria, have higher rates of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. This study was conducted to determine if pregnancies complicated by a false-positive GCT, as determined by the Carpenter-Coustan (CC) criteria, ...

Perlecan, a highly conserved and ubiquitous basement membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan, is essential for life, inasmuch as its absence results in embryonic lethality in mice and C. elegans, and neonatal lethality in humans. Perlecan plays an essential role in vasculogenesis and chondrogenesis, as well as in pathological states where these ...

Spontaneous intestinal perforation has been shown to be a significant morbidity in the extremely low birthweight neonate. Occult spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP), without pneumoperitoneum on abdominal radiograph, typically occurs in neonates > 2 weeks of age and is usually diagnosed by visualization of particulate matter seen on an abdominal ultrasound. ...

PURPOSE: Management of neonatal torsion is controversial, since the likelihood of testicular salvage and metachronous contralateral torsion must be weighed against the risk of neonatal anesthesia. We reviewed a large series of such cases and stratified neonatal torsion based on time of presentation to determine the potential for testicular salvage. ...

Venous (maternal) and cord blood (neonatal) samples of Omani women who had a daily supplement of Centrum Materna multivitamin and multimineral tablet throughout pregnancy were investigated at late preterm (n=37) and at term (n=37) delivery for erythrocyte indices, micromineral, antioxidant, and lipid values. Hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (HCT), mean cell volume ...

Technically expedient repair of CDH defects is desirable. With increasing trend toward thoracoscopic repair, herein we examine physiologic predictors for the need for patch closure (PC) versus primary closure. All neonates who underwent surgical repair of CDH defects in a geographically defined region between 1992 and 2002 were included (n ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether risk for early mortality is increased with recurrent small for gestational age (SGA) compared with nonrecurrent SGA. METHODS: We used the Missouri maternally linked cohort data containing births from 1978-1997. We identified mothers according to four categories: 1) appropriate for gestational age (AGA)-AGA: both first and ...

The conjunctiva's bacterial profile at birth and 1 week after Credé's gonoccocal ophthalmic prophylaxis was evaluated over a 3-month period using culture and direct immunofluorescence. Thirty-four neonates received 10% silver vitellinate and 42 sterile saline. Chlamydia trachomatis was recovered in 7/34 and 9/42 neonates receiving silver vitellinate and saline at ...

OBJECTIVE: Meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF) is thought to be a sign of fetal hypoxia, which causes activation of coagulation and inhibition of fibrinolysis. Inflammation is also seen in MSAF. On the other hand, thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) is an inhibitor of fibrinolysis and a regulator of vascular inflammation. For ...

The impact of maternal exposure to carcinogens during pregnancy on childhood cancer risk may be especially relevant for genetically susceptible infants. A molecular epidemiological approach, which has the potential to characterize processes between exposure and subsequent health effects in newborns by using biomarkers, is expected to provide valuable information for ...

OBJECTIVE: To study fetal and neonatal heart rate (HR) and cardiac output (COP), following acute maternal exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by mobile phones. METHODS: The present study was carried out at Benha University Hospital and El-Shorouq Hospital, Cairo, Egypt, from October 2003 to March 2004. Ninety women with ...

It is difficult to make a retrospective diagnosis of perinatal asphyxia in symptomatic neonates delivered non-institutionally. We studied serum creatine kinase muscle-brain fraction (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and glutamic pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) for differentiating asphyxiated (n=25) from non-asphyxiated (n=20) neonates who present with non-specific signs of ...

In this short review, the objectives and work of SAFE--the Special Non-invasive Advances in Fetal and Neonatal Evaluation Network, a European Union Framework VI network of excellence is described. We demonstrate how this network facilitates the implementation of non-invasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) for single gene disorders, fetal rhesus typing, aneuploidy ...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of substitution therapy in heroin addicted pregnant women on the course of pregnancy, perinatal outcomes and course of the neonatal abstinence syndrome. DESIGN OF THE STUDY: A five-year randomised prospective comparative study METHODS: The study was carried out in ...