Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

JAMA Pediatr 2020 May 26. Epub 2020 May 26.

Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.

Importance: The magnitude of the association of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and small for gestational age (SGA) status with cognitive outcomes in preterm and term-born children has not been established.

Objective: To examine cognitive outcomes of preterm and term-born children who had IUGR and were SGA compared with children who were appropriate for gestational age (AGA) during the first 12 years of life.

Data Sources: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, the Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, PsycInfo, and ERIC databases were searched for English-language, peer-reviewed literature published between January 1, 2000, and February 20, 2020. Read More

World Neurosurg 2020 May 10. Epub 2020 May 10.

Acıbadem University Atakent Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery.

Background: Cerebral aneurysm and aneurysm rupture have rarely been reported in the literature during pregnancy. Aneurysm might rupture and may cause intracranial hemorrhage during or after pregnancy. Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) during pregnancy presents a challenge regarding treatment and management. Read More

Surgery 2020 May 17. Epub 2020 May 17.

Department of Digestive, Hepato-biliary and Endocrine Surgery, Referral Center for Rare Adrenal Diseases, Cochin Hospital, APHP, Paris, France; Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France; INSERM Unité 1016, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 8104, Institut Cochin, Paris, France.

Background: Adrenal lesions diagnosed during pregnancy remain rare, and their management is challenging because of maternal physiologic modifications, restricted imaging investigations, and contraindications to several treatments. Surgical issues of adrenalectomy during pregnancy and consequences on perinatal outcomes are poorly described. We therefore aimed to report maternal and fetal outcomes after adrenalectomy during pregnancy. Read More

J Cell Physiol 2020 Apr 23. Epub 2020 Apr 23.

Division of Histology and Embryology, Joint Laboratory for Embryonic, Development and Prenatal Medicine, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.

Folic acid (FA) is routinely supplemented in the food of pregnant women or women planning a pregnancy, but whether FA exerts a positive effect on preventing fetal bone malformation remains obscure. In this study, we first exposed chick embryos with different concentrations of FA (1-10,000 pmol/egg) and studied vertebral mineralization and ossification through alcian blue and alizarin red as well as hematoxylin and eosin staining. Morphological measurements of the thoracic vertebral bodies demonstrated that 100 pmol/egg FA exhibited the tendency of shortening the growth plate, extended the ossification center, and increased the amount of Type I collagen. Read More

Nat Med 2020 03 11;26(3):348-353. Epub 2020 Mar 11.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Cambridge; NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, UK.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is the major single cause of stillbirth and is also associated with neonatal morbidity and mortality, impaired health and educational achievement in childhood and with a range of diseases in later life. Effective screening and intervention for FGR is an unmet clinical need. Here, we performed ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy (UPLC-MS/MS) metabolomics on maternal serum at 12, 20 and 28 weeks of gestational age (wkGA) using 175 cases of term FGR and 299 controls from the Pregnancy Outcome Prediction (POP) study, conducted in Cambridge, UK, to identify predictive metabolites. Read More

Viruses 2020 Jan 7;12(1). Epub 2020 Jan 7.

Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany.

In 2015 Zika virus (ZIKV) emerged for the first time in South America. The following ZIKV epidemic resulted in the appearance of a clinical phenotype with microcephaly and other severe malformations in newborns. So far, mechanisms of ZIKV induced damage to the fetus are not completely understood. Read More

J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2020 Jan 12:1-5. Epub 2020 Jan 12.

Function Department, Shanghai Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital, Shanghai, China.

To explore an early diagnostic model for fetal growth restriction (FGR) at 11-13 (+6 days) gestational weeks using Doppler analysis of the uterine artery and measurements of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A). This was a prospective study which included 1796 singleton pregnant women, who received routine pregnancy examination at 11-13 (+6 days) gestational weeks in Shanghai Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital between 1 June 2017 and 31 July 2018. Uterine artery pulsatility index (PI), uterine resistance index (RI), and notching were recorded using the Doppler ultrasound detector (Voluson E8; GE Healthcare, Kretztechnik, Zipf, Austria). Read More

Mymensingh Med J 2020 Jan;29(1):215-221

Dr Sanjay Mishra, Post-graduate Student in MD Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India; E-mail:

To create a reference chart for estimated fetal weight (EFW) in normal pregnancy for use in Indian population and compare it with reference chart from other population. This retrospective cross-sectional study included 300 normal singleton pregnancies coming for routine antenatal ultrasonography examination and was carried out at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur from September 2017 to April 2019. Ultrasonographic measurements included fetal biparietal diameter (cm), head circumference (cm), abdominal circumference (cm) and femur length (cm). Read More

Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2019 Dec 19;41(12):688-696. Epub 2019 Dec 19.

Universidade de Uberaba, Uberaba, MG, Brazil.

Objective:  To evaluate the association between early-onset fetal growth restriction (FGR), late-onset FGR, small for gestational age (SGA) and adequate for gestational age (AGA) fetuses and adverse perinatal outcomes.

Methods:  This was a retrospective longitudinal study in which 4 groups were evaluated: 1 - early-onset FGR (before 32 weeks) ( = 20), 2 - late-onset FGR (at or after 32 weeks) ( = 113), 3 - SGA ( = 59), 4 - AGA ( = 476). The Kaplan-Meier curve was used to compare the time from the diagnosis of FGR to birth. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Dec;98(50):e18268

Department of Pediatrics, Chonbuk National University School of Medicine.

Rationale: Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome (WHS) is a rare disorder caused by the loss of the distal part of the short arm of chromosome 4, and has various phenotypes depending on the deletion size. Although many articles report on urinary tract malformations or ophthalmologic abnormalities, there are few descriptions of the skeletal anomalies. This is an extremely rare case of cervical dysplasia in WHS. Read More

J Obstet Gynaecol India 2019 Dec 18;69(6):514-519. Epub 2019 Jul 18.

1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amrita Institute of Medical Science, Kochi, Kerala India.

Background: The number of cancers diagnosed during pregnancy is on the rise, and breast cancer is the most common malignancy. Presently, there are very limited resources and no clear guidelines for managing this peculiar patient population both worldwide and in India. The objective of this study was to find out the incidence of pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) in a tertiary care referral centre and to compare the epidemiological, diagnostic and prognostic factors as well as maternal and foetal outcomes with the most recent literature worldwide. Read More

Dis Markers 2019 16;2019:4373490. Epub 2019 Nov 16.

Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Italy.

Objective: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a major cause of late stillbirth, though not all compromised babies remain small or are considered growth restricted as pregnancy progresses. Fetal Magnetic Resonance Imaging (f-MRI) represents a second-line tool to study pregnancies with IUGR fetuses. The aim of our study was to evaluate the usefulness of f-MRI on predicting fetal growth and the offspring's perinatal respiratory outcome. Read More

BJOG 2020 Apr 20;127(5):e1-e13. Epub 2019 Nov 20.

Congenital uterine anomalies (CUAs) are malformations of the womb that develop during fetal life. When a baby girl is in her mother's womb, her womb develops as two separate halves from two tubular structures called 'müllerian ducts', which fuse together before she is born. Abnormalities that occur during the baby's development can be variable from complete absence of a womb through to more subtle anomalies, which are classified into specific categories. Read More

Prenat Diagn 2019 Nov 7. Epub 2019 Nov 7.

Royal Hospital for Women, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Ionizing radiation should be considered an avoidable exposure although all pregnant women receive some radiation from their environment. The potential effect of ionizing radiation on the fetus is determined by the dose and the timing of the exposure with growing interest in the potential risks of transgenerational effects of radiation as an epigenetic phenomenon. High dosage exposure is very unlikely in routine situations such as occupational, diagnostic, or therapeutic exposures. Read More

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2019 Dec 22;243:67-71. Epub 2019 Oct 22.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Objectives: Early preterm fetal growth restriction is a significant contributor to perinatal morbidity and mortality. The ductus venosus pulsatility index for veins (DV PIV) is proposed as a monitoring tool because it appears to improve perinatal outcomes. The test characteristics and robustness of DV PIV have been inadequately described. Read More

In Vivo 2019 Nov-Dec;33(6):2199-2204

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Cologne and Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany.

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to determine the value of Doppler indices and notching assessment of uterine artery between the 19th and 22nd week of gestation in the prediction of pregnancy outcome such as delivery mode, birth weight, Apgar score, afterbirth pH, fetal presentation, preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction in singleton pregnancy.

Patients And Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of Doppler ultrasound of the uterine arteries at 19-22 week of gestation in 1,472 women with singleton pregnancies.

Results: Patients with bilateral high resistance-index (RI) and pulsatility-index (RI) or with the presence of a notch showed a significantly higher prevalence of small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), low Apgar Scores at the 1st and the 5th min, high c-section rate, preterm birth, breech birth, placental insufficiency and placental abruption. Read More

Medicina (Kaunas) 2019 Oct 21;55(10). Epub 2019 Oct 21.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mie University School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu, Mie 514-8507, Japan.

Tadalafil for treatment of fetal growth restriction (FGR) or preeclampsia is given once a day orally. The drug kinetics of tadalafil were investigated to determine the ideal dosage to promote uterine blood flow. Materials and Methods: We recruited five pregnant women with FGR or preeclampsia before administration of tadalafil, all of which were administered tadalafil (20 mg/day, once-daily dosing). Read More

BMJ 2019 10 15;367:l5517. Epub 2019 Oct 15.

Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Midwifery Science, AVAG/Amsterdam Public Health, Van der Boechhorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, Netherlands

Objectives: To investigate the effectiveness of routine ultrasonography in the third trimester in reducing adverse perinatal outcomes in low risk pregnancies compared with usual care and the effect of this policy on maternal outcomes and obstetric interventions.

Design: Pragmatic, multicentre, stepped wedge cluster randomised trial.

Setting: 60 midwifery practices in the Netherlands. Read More

Gynecol Obstet Fertil Senol 2019 12 26;47(12):860-871. Epub 2019 Sep 26.

Service de gynécologie-obstétrique, Hôpital Bicêtre, AP-HP, 78, avenue du général Leclerc, 94270 Le-Kremlin-Bicètre, France; Université Paris Sud, université de Médecine Paris-Saclay, 94270 Le-Kremlin-Bicêtre, France. Electronic address:

Abnormalities of umbilical-portal circulation are rare pathologies whose detection points in screening ultrasound are poorly taught. It can present as an unusual looking portal sinus, an abnormal trajectory of the umbilical vein, an anechoic intrahepatic image or more rarely as cardiomegaly. This can also be detected in the context of investigations of fetus with intrauterine growth retardation. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2019 Sep 18;12(9). Epub 2019 Sep 18.

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Women with a multiple pregnancy are at increased risk of developing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. We describe a case of a dichorionic triamniotic triplet pregnancy complicated by severe hypertension, proteinuria and maternal symptoms, fitting with the diagnosis of pre-eclampsia, apart from the early gestational age of only 16 weeks. After reduction of the monochorionic pair, the disease resolved and pre-eclampsia was diagnosed again at 30 weeks of gestation, resulting in a delivery on maternal indication at 33 weeks of gestation. Read More

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2019 Sep 14;19(1):336. Epub 2019 Sep 14.

Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Jena, Am Klinkum 1, 07740, Jena, Germany.

Background: Affecting approximately 10% of pregnancies, fetal growth restriction (FGR), is the most important cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity. Impaired placental function and consequent mal-perfusion of the placenta is the leading cause of FGR. Although, screening for placental insufficiency based on uterine artery Doppler measurement is well established, there is no treatment option for pregnancies threatened by FGR. Read More

Hypertension 2019 11 9;74(5):1136-1143. Epub 2019 Sep 9.

From the Centre of Molecular Inflammation Research (CEMIR), Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) (M.A., G.B.S., L.C.V.T., L.H.T., A.-C.I.), Trondheim University Hospital, Norway.

Clinical end-stage parameters define the pregnancy disorders preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction while classification of the underlying placental dysfunction is missing and urgently needed. Flt-1 (FMS-like tyrosine kinase receptor 1) is the most promising placenta-derived predictive biomarker for preeclampsia. We aimed to classify placental dysfunction in preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction at delivery by metabolic profiling and authenticate the biomarker Flt-1 for placental dysfunction. Read More

Lupus 2019 Oct 7;28(11):1312-1319. Epub 2019 Sep 7.

Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.

Objectives: To investigate the fetal adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) and the predictive value of umbilical arterial Doppler ultrasonography in the third trimester in pregnant women with lupus nephritis (LN).

Methods: A retrospective cohort study enrolling 203 LN patients from 2007 to 2017 was performed. Ultrasonic parameters were recorded. Read More

J Perinat Med 2019 Oct;47(8):841-846

Manisa Celal Bayar University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatology Division, Manisa, Turkey.

Background Placental elasticity varies in different diseases. Our objective was to evaluate placental elasticity using point shear wave elastography (pSWE) in pregnancies with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Methods A total of 66 pregnant women with IUGR and 81 healthy pregnant women were enrolled. Read More

J Nippon Med Sch 2019 ;86(4):192-200

Department of Neonatology, Toho University, Faculty of Medicine.

Twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a major complication of monochorionic diamniotic (MD) twins, and its onset is known to be associated with placental vascular anastomoses and blood flow imbalance. In a typical case of TTTS, the recipient develops polyhydramnios, weight gain, cardiomegaly and hydrops fetalis in the uterus. In contrast, the donor develops oligohydramnios and intrauterine growth restriction. Read More

Am J Obstet Gynecol 2020 02 24;222(2):174.e1-174.e10. Epub 2019 Aug 24.

Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD. Electronic address:

Background: Although intertwin size difference is an important measure of fetal growth, the appropriate cut point to define discordance is unclear. Few studies have assessed intertwin differences in estimated fetal weight longitudinally or in relation to size differences at birth.

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to estimate the magnitude of percentage differences in estimated fetal weight across gestation in dichorionic twins in relation to a fixed discordance cut point and compare classification of aberrant fetal growth by different measures (estimated fetal weight differences, birthweight discordance, small for gestational age). Read More

J Clin Ultrasound 2019 Nov 24;47(9):526-530. Epub 2019 Aug 24.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Purpose: To asses the occurrence of discrepancies between the Doppler waveforms of the left and right umbilical arteries in their paravesical part in fetuses with absent or reversed end-diastolic flow in the free-floating umbilical cord.

Methods: This prospective observational study included pregnant women with fetal growth restriction or twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. Umbilical arterial Doppler waveforms were obtained from both umbilical arteries in their intra-abdominal paravesical part. Read More

PLoS One 2019 21;14(8):e0219596. Epub 2019 Aug 21.

Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.

Polyphenol-rich pomegranate juice has been shown to have benefit as a neuroprotectant in animal models of neonatal hypoxic-ischemia. No published studies have investigated maternal polyphenol administration as a potential neuroprotectant in at-risk newborns, such as those with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind pilot study to investigate the impact of maternal pomegranate juice intake in pregnancies with IUGR, on newborn brain structure and function at term-equivalent age (TEA). Read More

EMBO J 2019 09 19;38(18):e100849. Epub 2019 Aug 19.

Department of Molecular Cell Biology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.

The placenta is an autonomous organ that maintains fetal growth and development. Its multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast layer, providing fetal nourishment during gestation, exhibits characteristics of cellular senescence. We show that in human placentas from pregnancies with intrauterine growth restriction, these characteristics are decreased. Read More

Arkh Patol 2019 ;81(4):17-25

Moscow Regional Research Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Moscow, Russia.

Objective: To carry out a clinical and morphological analysis of 6 cases of placental mesenchymal dysplasia (PMD) that is not associated with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.

Material And Methods: Medical records, placental macroscopic and microscopic changes, histochemical (MSB staining) and immunohistochemical studies of placental tissue with antibodies against p57, CD34, smooth muscle actin, desmin, and Ki-67 were analyzed.

Results: Vascular anomalies in the chorionic plate and stem villi, the increased size and edema of the stem villi during normal formation of the terminal branches of the villous tree, the lack of proliferation of villous trophoblast were the typical signs of PMD and were noted in all cases. Read More

J Perinat Med 2019 Oct;47(8):879-884

Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey.

Background This study aimed to investigate fetal cardiac functions by spectral tissue Doppler imaging (s-TDI) in pregnancies complicated with late-onset fetal growth restriction (LO-FGR) and small-for-gestational age (SGA). Methods Forty pregnancies complicated with late-onset FGR and 40 pregnancies complicated with SGA between the 34th and 37th weeks of gestation were enrolled in this study. Forty gestational age-matched pregnant women with no obstetrics complication were randomly selected as a control group. Read More

Clin Rheumatol 2019 Dec 3;38(12):3501-3509. Epub 2019 Aug 3.

Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, No 58, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China.

Background: Hypertension disorders in pregnancy (HDP) were common complications in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the impact of HDP and the measures to prevent HDP-related fetal adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) remained to be explored.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective study of 342 pregnant women with SLE was performed. Read More

Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2019 12 18;98(12):1585-1594. Epub 2019 Sep 18.

Department of Pathology, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.

Introduction: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the differences in individual histopathologic placental lesions in pregnancies complicated by early-onset (<32 weeks at diagnosis) and late-onset (≥32 weeks at diagnosis) fetal growth restriction (FGR).

Material And Methods: A cohort study of 440 singleton pregnancies complicated by FGR, diagnosed according to standard ultrasonographic criteria, followed up and delivered at the same institution between 2010 and 2016. Placental lesions were classified according to the Amsterdam Placental Workshop Consensus Criteria. Read More

J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 2019 Sep;32(9):995-1003

Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Odunpazarı, 26480 Eskişehir, Turkey.

Background This study aimed to evaluate the imaging findings of patients who underwent an abdominal and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) due to primary amenorrhea. Methods The pelvic and abdominal images of 34 female patients (mean age 15.61 years, range 14-19 years) were retrospectively analyzed by a single radiologist blinded to the clinical and laboratory data of the patients (other than primary amenorrhea) to evaluate the etiology of primary amenorrhea. Read More

Medicina (Kaunas) 2019 Jul 26;55(8). Epub 2019 Jul 26.

nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Doppler ultrasound of umbilical and fetal vessels is useful for monitoring fetal well-being, fetal anemia, intrauterine growth retardation, and other perinatal outcomes. The adverse perinatal outcome and circulatory changes can be reflected in fetal Doppler studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of increased pressure exerted on the maternal abdominal wall during routine ultrasound on the middle cerebral artery (MCA), resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), and peak systolic velocity (PSV). Read More

J Perinat Med 2019 Sep;47(7):683-688

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.

Background Altered cardiac geometry affects a proportion of fetuses with growth restriction (FGR). The aim of this study was to explore the hemodynamic factors associated with cardiac remodeling in late FGR. Methods This was a prospective study of singleton pregnancies complicated by late-onset FGR undergoing assessment of left (LV) and right (RV) ventricular sphericity-index (SI). Read More

Am J Obstet Gynecol 2020 01 20;222(1):79.e1-79.e9. Epub 2019 Jul 20.

Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal-Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Deu), Institut Clinic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, and Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain.

Background: Preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction share some pathophysiologic features and are both associated with placental insufficiency. Fetal cardiac remodeling has been described extensively in fetal growth restriction, whereas little is known about preeclampsia with a normally grown fetus.

Objective: To describe fetal cardiac structure and function in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and/or fetal growth restriction as compared with uncomplicated pregnancies. Read More

J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep 2019 Jan-Dec;7:2324709619864131

2 St. George's University, True Blue, Grenada.

Umbilical artery Doppler ultrasound-which informs on maternal-fetal-placental blood flow-may be the most valuable surveillance tool in triplet pregnancies, crucial to diagnose early fetal growth restriction. To illustrate the prognostic value of Doppler ultrasound and launch a discussion of its role in multiple gestational, high-risk pregnancy, we present the case of a 42-year-old woman with trichorionic triamniotic triplet pregnancy conceived by in vitro fertilization, who showed early signs of poor outcome for one of the triplets via umbilical artery Doppler by the 23rd week and middle cerebral artery Doppler by the 29th week of gestation. Read More

BMC Med Genet 2019 07 16;20(1):126. Epub 2019 Jul 16.

Department of Pediatric Imaging, Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Medical Center, 2-8-29 Musashidai, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-8561, Japan.

Background: Osteodysplasia of the oral and maxillofacial bone is generally accompanied by systemic bone abnormalities (such as short stature, joint contracture) or other systemic abnormalities (such as renal, dermatological, cardiovascular, optic, or hearing disorders). However, it does not always present this way. Recent reports have suggested that genome-wide sequencing is an effective method for identifying rare or new disorders. Read More

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2019 Sep 9;240:187-191. Epub 2019 Jul 9.

Faculdade de Medicina da Universidadade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.

Objective: To compare knowledge and practices surrounding third trimester screening of fetal growth restriction (FGR) in low risk pregnancies among Portuguese Gynecologists/Obstetricians (GOs) and General Practitioners (GPs). Primary outcome was to compare the proportion of GOs that consider the need of a third trimester ultrasound (estimation of fetal weight) for screening of FGR in low risk pregnancies and the best time to perform it with the corresponding proportion of GPs.

Study Design: We have conducted a prospective, observational cohort study based on application of surveys to GOs and GPs. Read More

J Med Case Rep 2019 Jul 4;13(1):204. Epub 2019 Jul 4.

Department of Woman, Child and General and Specialized Surgery, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Largo Madonna delle Grazie 1, 80138, Naples, Italy.

Introduction: Molar pregnancies belong to a group of diseases classified as gestational trophoblastic diseases, which result from an altered fertilization. Partial molar pregnancy with a live fetus is a very rare condition, occurring in 0.005 to 0. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Jun;98(26):e16166

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu.

Rationale: The placenta membranacea (PM) is a rare type of placental abnormality, which is associated with placenta previa, antepartum hemorrhage (APH), postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), chorioamnionitis, fetal growth restriction (FGR), preterm birth even stillbirth. The purpose of this case report is to summarize the characteristics and analyze the relevant factors of PM.

Patients Concerns: Repetitive B-ultrasound of the first patient demonstrated a thin placenta covering the most part of uterine wall, which completely covers the internal cervical ostium for 22 weeks. Read More

Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2019 Jul 27;41(7):454-462. Epub 2019 Jun 27.

Departament of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) diagnosis is often made by fetal biometric ultrasound measurements or Doppler evaluation, but most babies are only diagnosed after birth, using the birth weight as a proxy for intrauterine development. The higher risks of neurodevelopmental delay, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular illness associated with FGR impose a shift on the focus during pregnancy. New methodological approaches, like metabolomics, can provide novel biomarkers for intrauterine fetal development. Read More

Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2019 Jun 27;41(6):363-370. Epub 2019 Jun 27.

Hospital Regional de São José Homero de Miranda Gomes, São José, SC, Brazil.

Objective:  To evaluate the results of induced labor and to determine the main factors associated with intrapartum cesarean section after patients being submitted to this procedure at the Hospital Universitário of the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (HU/UFSC, in the Portuguese acronym), Florianópolis, state of Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Methods:  A retrospective cross-sectional study that included all the pregnancies that resulted in single-fetus births, whose gestational-age was > 22 weeks and that had been submitted to labor induction at the HU/UFSC in the period from 2013 to 2016.

Results:  During the proposed period, 1,491 pregnant women were submitted to the labor induction protocol. Read More

Am J Obstet Gynecol 2019 09 18;221(3):273.e1-273.e9. Epub 2019 Jun 18.

Department of Neonatology, Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland, Dublin Ireland.

Background: Fetal growth restriction accounts for a significant proportion of perinatal morbidity and death. The cerebroplacental ratio is gaining much interest as a useful tool in differentiating the "at-risk" fetus in both fetal growth restriction and appropriate-for-gestational-age pregnancies. The Prospective Observational Trial to Optimize Pediatric Health in Fetal Growth Restriction group has demonstrated previously that the presence of this "brain-sparing" effect is associated significantly with adverse perinatal outcomes in the fetal growth restriction cohort. Read More

PLoS One 2019 21;14(6):e0218192. Epub 2019 Jun 21.

Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a fetal condition that affects up to 10% of all pregnancies and is associated with cardiovascular structural and functional remodelling that persists postnatally. Some studies have reported an increase in myocardial coronary blood flow in severe IUGR fetuses which has been directly associated to the dilatation of the coronary arteries. However, a direct measurement of the coronaries' lumen diameter in IUGR has not been reported before. Read More

J Obstet Gynaecol 2019 Nov 19;39(8):1171-1172. Epub 2019 Jun 19.

II Faculty of Medicine with English Language Division, Department of Obstetrics and Perinatology, Medical University of Lublin , Lublin , Poland.

Am J Obstet Gynecol 2019 11 14;221(5):495.e1-495.e9. Epub 2019 Jun 14.

Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA; Fetal Diagnostic Centers, Pasadena, Tarzana, and Lancaster, CA.

Background: Fetuses with an estimated fetal weight below the 10 centile have an increased risk of adverse perinatal and long-term outcomes as well as increased rates of cardiac dysfunction, which often alters cardiac size and shape of the 4-chamber view and the individual ventricles. As a result, a simple method has emerged to screen for potential cardiac dysfunction in fetuses with estimated fetal weights <10 centile by measuring the size and shape of the 4-chamber view and the size of the ventricles.

Objective: To determine the number of fetuses with an abnormal size and shape of the 4-chamber view and size of the ventricles in fetuses with an estimated fetal weight <10 centile. Read More

Early Hum Dev 2019 07 3;134:34-40. Epub 2019 Jun 3.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; PEDEGO Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Turku, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.

Aim: Long-term follow-up studies on children born with fetal growth restriction (FGR) have revealed a specific profile of neurocognitive difficulties, including problems with speech, language and literacy skills. We hypothesized that problems with communication skills, including language use and literacy skills of FGR children at primary school age are associated with prenatal circulatory changes.

Methods: Ultrasonographic assessment of fetoplacental hemodynamics was performed prenatally in 77 fetuses. Read More