Document Detail


Fetal medicine and treatment.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  21882116     Owner:  NLM     Status:  In-Data-Review    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Fetal medicine covers a broad spectrum of conditions that can be diagnosed before birth. Different disorders will require different treatment strategies and there is often an important ontogenetic aspect on how and when treatment can be implemented. Due to the limited availability there is a general lack of knowledge on how pharmacotherapy can be provided in the most efficient way. Until recently most knowledge about how different drugs are transferred and metabolized in the human fetus is based on very limited observational studies on concentrations of drugs in fetal blood and other fetal compartments. It might be that the rapid development of other non-invasive methods for fetal diagnostics such as isolation of fetal DNA and RNA in maternal serum, NMR imaging and other techniques could in the future be explored in fetal pharmacotherapy. Introduction of new treatment strategies are often based on extrapolation from experience in neonates and adults. However some fetal conditions are very specific for this time period in life. This especially entails disturbances in development as malformations, early growth restriction and several congenital disorders. Here it might be required to introduce new treatment strategies without any previous experience in humans. Example of this ethical dilemma is gene therapy for lung growth in severe cases of diaphragmatic hernia and early growth restriction. The risk-benefit issues need to be discussed in all these alternatives. However, it is likely that the concept of the human fetus as a potential patient is still in its infancy and with an improved understanding about fetal patho-physiology there will be a continued need for better knowledge of pharmacotherapy during this crucial time period in life.
Authors:
Magnus Westgren
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Handbook of experimental pharmacology     Volume:  -     ISSN:  0171-2004     ISO Abbreviation:  Handb Exp Pharmacol     Publication Date:  2011  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-09-01     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7902231     Medline TA:  Handb Exp Pharmacol     Country:  Germany    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  271-83     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology Centre for Fetal Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, S-141 86, Stockholm, Sweden, magnus.westgren@ki.se.
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