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Hum Reprod 2021 03;36(4):899-906

Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Mumbai, India.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by infection of the respiratory tract by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which survives in the tissues during the clinical course of infection but there is limited evidence on placental infection and vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The impact of COVID-19 in first trimester pregnancy remains poorly understood. Moreover, how long SARS-CoV-2 can survive in placenta is unknown. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2021 02 18;141:106-112. Epub 2020 Nov 18.

Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Ebstein anomaly (EA) and tricuspid valve dysplasia (TVD) are rare congenital malformations associated with nearly 50% mortality when diagnosed in utero. The diseases often produce severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in the fetus and in some cases, pulmonary regurgitation (PR) and circular shunting ensue. Since the ductus arteriosus (DA) plays a critical role in the circular shunt and may be constricted by transplacental nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), we sought to assess the effect of NSAIDs on fetuses with EA/TVD. Read More

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2020 Dec 10;255:51-55. Epub 2020 Oct 10.

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA.

Objective: The placental cord insertion (PCI) to the placental margin has not been well studied as a continuous variable in relation to birth outcomes. We sought to evaluate the impact of PCI distance on outcomes associated with placental function and development of fetal growth restriction (FGR).

Study Design: This was a retrospective study of singleton gestations that underwent a fetal anatomy ultrasound from 2011-2013. Read More

Am J Obstet Gynecol 2021 01 16;224(1):103.e1-103.e15. Epub 2020 Jul 16.

Department of Clinical Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, United Kingdom; UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, United Kingdom; National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom.

Background: Noninvasive imaging autopsy alternatives for fetuses weighing <500 grams are limited. Microfocus computed tomography has been reported as a viable option in small case series with the potential to avoid an invasive autopsy. Implementation of postmortem microfocus computed tomography in a large cohort as part of routine clinical service has yet been unreported, and realistic "autopsy prevention rates" are unknown. Read More

Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2020 Sep 16;150(3):299-305. Epub 2020 Jun 16.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.

Placental dysfunction has a deleterious influence on fetal size and is associated with higher rates of perinatal morbidity and mortality. This association underpins the strategy of fetal size evaluation as a mechanism to identify placental dysfunction and prevent stillbirth. The optimal method of routine detection of small for gestational age (SGA) remains to be clarified with choices between estimation of symphyseal-fundal height versus routine third-trimester ultrasound, various formulae for fetal weight estimation by ultrasound, and the variable use of national, customized, or international fetal growth references. Read More

BJOG 2021 01 8;128(2):401-409. Epub 2020 Jun 8.

Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris, France.

Objectives: To review perinatal and neurodevelopmental outcome (NDO) following selective fetoscopic laser coagulation (SFLC), cord coagulation (CC) or expectant management of monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies complicated with selective intrauterine growth restriction (sIUGR) and absent or reverse end-diastolic flow (AREDF) in the umbilical arteries (UA).

Design And Setting: Single-centre retrospective observational study.

Population: 108 cases of sIUGR diagnosed before 26  weeks' gestation with AREDF in the UA. Read More

Am J Obstet Gynecol 2020 10 4;223(4):493-515. Epub 2020 May 4.

Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address:

Fetal death because of miscarriage, unexpected intrauterine fetal demise, or termination of pregnancy is a traumatic event for any family. Despite advances in prenatal imaging and genetic diagnosis, conventional autopsy remains the gold standard because it can provide additional information not available during fetal life in up to 40% of cases and this by itself may change the recurrence risk and hence future counseling for parents. However, conventional autopsy is negatively affected by procedures involving long reporting times because the fetal brain is prone to the effect of autolysis, which may result in suboptimal examinations, particularly of the central nervous system. Read More

Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2020 06;99(6):783-790

Center for Fetal Diagnostics, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.

Introduction: Applying whole-exome sequencing (WES) for the diagnosis of diseases in children has shown significant diagnostic strength compared with chromosomal microarray. WES may also have the potential of adding clinically relevant prenatal information in cases where a fetus is found to have structural anomalies. We present results from the first fetal exomes performed in a tertiary center in Denmark. Read More

BMJ Sex Reprod Health 2020 10 2;46(4):308-312. Epub 2020 Apr 2.

Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

Background: Transient fetal survival is one issue that providers may face while managing late second-trimester abortion. Induction of fetal demise using digoxin and other means has been widely performed by maternal-fetal medicine and family planning subspecialists worldwide. However, there are no data available in Ethiopia as regards preventing transient fetal survival in late second-trimester medical termination of pregnancy. Read More

Elife 2020 03 17;9. Epub 2020 Mar 17.

Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple neurological diseases, but elucidation of underlying mechanisms is limited experimentally by the inability to damage specific mitochondria in defined neuronal groups. We developed a precision chemoptogenetic approach to target neuronal mitochondria in the intact nervous system in vivo. MG2I, a chemical fluorogen, produces singlet oxygen when bound to the fluorogen-activating protein dL5** and exposed to far-red light. Read More

J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2020 05 4;31(5):1105-1113. Epub 2020 Mar 4.

Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

Objectives: To describe a single institutional experience managing fetuses with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and to identify associations between patient characteristics and fetal and postnatal outcomes.

Background: Sustained fetal SVT is associated with significant morbidity and mortality if untreated, yet the optimal management strategy remains unclear.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study including fetuses diagnosed with sustained SVT (>50% of the diagnostic echocardiogram) between 1985 and 2018. Read More

Fetal Diagn Ther 2020 5;47(7):572-579. Epub 2020 Feb 5.

Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA,

Introduction: To examine the association of preoperative absent end-diastolic velocity (AEDV) and percent AEDV (%AEDV) in the umbilical artery (UA) with donor twin intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) after laser surgery for twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS).

Methods: We performed a retrospective study of stage III/IV TTTS patients who underwent laser surgery from 2006 to 2016. Donors were classified as having preoperative persistent AEDV (yes/no). Read More

PLoS One 2020 5;15(2):e0226741. Epub 2020 Feb 5.

Fetal Medicine Unit, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Molecular & Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London, London, England, United Kingdom.

Aims: Fetuses affected by congenital heart defects (CHD) are considered to be at increased risk of fetal growth restriction and intrauterine demise. Whether these risks are a direct consequence of fetal CHD or a result of associated uteroplacental dysfunction is not evident from the data of recent studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of uteroplacental dysfunction reflected by abnormal uterine artery Doppler indices and reduced fetal growth in CHD pregnancies. Read More

PLoS One 2020 27;15(1):e0221544. Epub 2020 Jan 27.

Department of Forensic Medicine and Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.

Background: Computed tomography (CT) images of livers may show a hypo-attenuated structure alongside the falciform ligament, which can be a focal fatty pseudolesion and can mimic a malignancy. The preferred location is on the right parafissural site, ventral in segment IVa/b. The etiology is not clear, nor is it known how the histology of this location develops. Read More

Prenat Diagn 2020 04 16;40(5):557-564. Epub 2020 Feb 16.

Division of Cardiology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC.

Assessing cardiac function and risk stratification in a fetal anti-Sjögren syndrome type A (SSA) or anti-Sjögren syndrome type B (SSB) complete atrioventricular block (CAVB) is challenging. We aimed to evaluate the cardiovascular profile score (CVP) and its components in surveillance of fetuses with autoimmune CAVB.

Methods: Retrospective cohort review of CAVB pregnancies, excluding fetuses with significant cardiac anomalies. Read More

J Med Case Rep 2019 Nov 12;13(1):330. Epub 2019 Nov 12.

Department of Radiology, Addis Ababa University, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Background: Lithopedion is a word derived from the Greek words lithos, meaning stone, and paidion, meaning child, to describe a fetus that has become stony or petrified. Lithopedion is a rare complication of pregnancy which occurs when a fetus dies and becomes too large to be reabsorbed by the body. This entity in rare circumstances can be challenging for physicians to diagnose since it has a range of clinical manifestations. Read More

Radiographics 2019 Nov-Dec;39(7):2146-2166

From the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Ave, Box 0628, San Francisco, CA 94143-0628 (P.J., T.A.M.); and Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah (A.K.).

The twin birth rate is increasing in the United States. Twin pregnancies can be dichorionic or monochorionic (MC). MC twins account for 20% of twin pregnancies but 30% of all-cause pregnancy-related complications. Read More

Obstet Gynecol Surv 2019 Oct;74(10):611-622

Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Arkansas for the Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR.

Objective: To review what is currently known about placental mesenchymal dysplasia (PMD) including imaging techniques for diagnosis and differentiation from a molar pregnancy, genetics, maternal/fetal effects, and management.

Evidence Acquisition: A literature search by research librarians at 2 universities was undertaken using the search engines PubMed and Web of Science. The search terms used were "etiology" OR "cause" OR "risk" OR "risks" OR "epidemiology" OR "diagnosis" OR "therapy" OR "prognosis" OR "management" AND "placental mesenchymal dysplasia" OR "placenta" AND "mesenchymal dysplasia. Read More

Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2019 Sep 23;41(9):525-530. Epub 2019 Sep 23.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Haţieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Objective:  The etiology of embryonic demise is multifactorial, with chromosomal abnormalities being the most common (40%). The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the correlation between a serum biomarker, progesterone, and an ultrasonographic parameter, the distance between yolk sac and embryo (DYSE) in assessing the prognosis of pregnancy outcome in the 1 trimester.

Methods:  The present study is a prospective case-control analysis that includes 2 groups of patients: 81 patients with first-trimester normal evolutive pregnancy and 89 patients with embryonic demise, all of the patients having between 6 and 11 weeks of amenorrhea. Read More

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2019 Nov 8;242:17-28. Epub 2019 Aug 8.

Perinatal Ultrasound Department, Nepean Hospital, Australia; Nepean Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Australia.

Aim: This meta-analysis evaluates the use of cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) in predicting adverse perinatal outcome.

Methods: An electronic search of PubMed, Embase, Google scholar, Cochrane Library and Up-to-Date was done using variations of 'cerebroplacental ratio' and 'cerebroumbilical ratio'. We included studies where CPR was measured and postpartum outcomes were available. Read More

J Ultrasound Med 2020 Feb 20;39(2):351-358. Epub 2019 Aug 20.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine, USA.

Objectives: We sought to study potential diagnostic criteria for marginal placental cord insertions as determined by associations with obstetric outcomes.

Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort investigation included singleton gestations delivering from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2016, and having a standard or detailed fetal ultrasound examination from 18 weeks to 21 weeks 6 days. Cord insertion-to-placental edge distances were used to create a referent comparison group and 3 patient groups: greater than 3. Read More

Placenta 2019 09 26;84:32-36. Epub 2019 Jun 26.

Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, UK; Fetal Medicine Unit, The Women's Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK. Electronic address:

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a major cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Identifying which pregnancies are at risk of FGR facilitates enhanced surveillance and early delivery before fetal demise can ensue. However, existing risk stratification strategies yield an unacceptably low detection rate. Read More

Twin Res Hum Genet 2019 04 26;22(2):120-123. Epub 2019 Apr 26.

Multiple Pregnancy Clinic,The Royal Women's Hospital,Melbourne, Victoria,Australia.

Planning for the preterm birth of a fetus with known anomalies can raise complex ethical issues. This is particularly true of multiple pregnancies, where the interests of each fetus and of the expectant parent(s) can conflict. In these complex situations, parental wishes and values can also conflict with the recommendations of treating clinicians. Read More

Prenat Diagn 2019 06 29;39(7):536-543. Epub 2019 May 29.

Hospices Civils de Lyon, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hôpital Femme Mère Enfant, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon 1, Bron-, Lyon, 69500, France.

Objective: To examine the outcome of pregnancy with fetal transverse cerebellar diameter (TCD) below the fifth percentile based on routine second- or third-trimester ultrasonography.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 12 344 women according to TCD Z scores based on systematic second- or third-trimester ultrasound examination between 2007 and 2015. Information on major malformations, chromosomal anomalies, intrauterine or neonatal demise, and other abnormal findings were collected. Read More

Prenat Diagn 2019 05 9;39(6):484-488. Epub 2019 May 9.

Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX.

Background: We aimed to present the natural history and outcomes of fetal primary pleural effusions (PPE).

Methods: Fetuses with prenatal diagnosis of PPE delivered between January 2011 and June 2018 were included. Fetal PPE were separated into groups: resolved, stable, or progressive. Read More

Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2019 Dec 4;54(6):780-785. Epub 2019 Nov 4.

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA.

Objectives: To describe fetal echocardiographic findings associated with lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO) and to compare anatomic and hemodynamic measurements between fetuses with LUTO and gestational age (GA)-matched controls, with an emphasis on quantitative indices of diastolic function and cardiac output.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of fetuses diagnosed with severe LUTO with giant bladder, which underwent at least one fetal echocardiogram at our center between January 2005 and June 2018. Fetuses with major congenital heart disease were excluded. Read More

Med Ultrason 2018 Dec;20(4):487-492

II ND Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology , University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iuliu Hatieganu, Cluj Napoca, Romania.

Aims: Embryonic demise is a frequent complication of the first trimester pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between a serum biomarker, the soluble form of the vasculo-endothelial growth factor (sFlt-1) and the distance between the yolk sac (YS) and embryo (DYSE), determined by ultrasonography.

Material And Methods: The study was a prospective case-control study that included 2 groups of patients - the control group with 81 first-trimester pregnancies in evolution and the case group with 89 first-trimester pregnancies with a potentially reserved evolutivity. Read More

J Obstet Gynaecol Res 2019 Feb 8;45(2):352-357. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Aim: Fetal membranes are composed of the amnion and chorion, which fuse during the early second trimester. Persistent separation confers increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. This study characterizes sonographic and placental findings associated with persistent amnion-chorion (AC) membrane separation. Read More

Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2018 11 16;143(2):246-247. Epub 2018 Aug 16.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Japanese Red Cross Katsushika Maternity Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

Prenat Diagn 2018 06 6;38(7):523-530. Epub 2018 Jun 6.

Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal University, Montreal, Québec, Canada.

Objective: To determine the prognostic value of fetal Doppler and echocardiographic parameters for intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) within 24 hours and within 1 week after laser coagulation in monochorionic pregnancies complicated by twin-twin transfusion syndrome.

Method: This retrospective study correlated the preoperative hemodynamic and echocardiography parameters to the outcome in fetuses with twin-twin transfusion syndrome undergoing laser therapy.

Results: One hundred and twelve laser coagulations were performed between February 2006 and June 2015. Read More