Objective: This study aimed to assess perinatal morbidity, mortality rates, and neurodevelopmental outcomes in the management of fetal growth restriction (FGR) at a single tertiary institute. Methods: Among 2465 deliv...Objective: This study aimed to assess perinatal morbidity, mortality rates, and neurodevelopmental outcomes in the management of fetal growth restriction (FGR) at a single tertiary institute. Methods: Among 2465 deliveries between 2013 and 2019, 109 cases of FGR were reviewed retrospectively for causes, indications for pregnancy termination, perinatal death, overall neonatal outcomes, and long-term prognosis. Results: Excluding FGR due to congenital anomalies (n = 17), the mortality rate was 3.3% (3/92). One neonate delivered at 23 weeks developed cerebral palsy (1.1%). Retinopathy of prematurity occurred in four neonates (4.3%). Neurodevelopmental disorders were present in six neonates (6.5%), all of whom were delivered at 32 - 38 weeks. Significantly lower gestational age at delivery, lower birth weight, and higher umbilical artery resistance indices were observed in neonates with neurodevelopmental disorders. Conclusions: Intact survival before 27 weeks of gestation at delivery with FGR is uncommon. Neurodevelopmental disorders may still develop after delivery at 32 - 38 weeks;consideration should be given to the timing of delivery usingfetal ductus venosus Doppler waveforms measurements to reduce neurodevelopmental disorders.展开更多
It is widely assumed that fetal ischemic brain injury during labor derives almost exclusively from severe, systemic hypoxemia with marked neonatal depression and acidemia. Severe asphyxia, however, is one of several c...It is widely assumed that fetal ischemic brain injury during labor derives almost exclusively from severe, systemic hypoxemia with marked neonatal depression and acidemia. Severe asphyxia, however, is one of several causes of perinatal neurological injury and may not be the most common;most neonates diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy do not have evidence of severe asphyxia. Sepsis, direct brain trauma, and drug or toxin exposure account for some cases, while mechanical forces of labor and delivery that increase fetal intracranial pressure sufficiently to impair brain perfusion may also contribute. Because of bony compliance and mobile suture lines, the fetal skull changes shape and redistributes cerebrospinal fluid during labor according to constraints imposed by contractions, and bony and soft tissue elements of the birth canal as the head descends. These accommodations, including the increase in intracranial pressure, are adaptive and necessary for efficient descent of the head while safeguarding cerebral blood flow. Autonomic reflexes mediated through central receptors normally provide ample protection of the brain from the considerable pressure exerted on the skull. On occasion, those forces, which are transmitted intracranially, may overcome the various adaptive anatomical, cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological mechanisms that maintain cerebral perfusion and oxygen availability, resulting in ischemic brain injury. Accepting the notion of a potentially adverse impact of fetal head compression suggests that avoidance of excessive uterine activity and of relentless pushing without steady progress in descent may offer protection for the fetal brain during parturition. Excessive head compression should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ischemic encephalopathy.展开更多
Background Exposure to bisphenol A(BPA),an environmental pollutant known for its endocrine-disrupting properties,during gestation has been reported to increase the risk of fetal growth restriction(FGR)in an ovine mode...Background Exposure to bisphenol A(BPA),an environmental pollutant known for its endocrine-disrupting properties,during gestation has been reported to increase the risk of fetal growth restriction(FGR)in an ovine model of pregnancy.We hypothesized that the FGR results from the BPA-induced insufficiency and barrier dysfunction of the placenta,oxidative stress,inflammatory responses,autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS).However,precise mechanisms underlying the BPA-induced placental dysfunction,and subsequently,FGR,as well as the potential involvement of placental ERS in these complications,remain to be investigated.Methods In vivo experiment,16 twin-pregnant(from d 40 to 130 of gestation)Hu ewes were randomly distributed into two groups(8 ewes each).One group served as a control and received corn oil once a day,whereas the other group received BPA(5 mg/kg/d as a subcutaneous injection).In vitro study,ovine trophoblast cells(OTCs)were exposed to 4 treatments,6 replicates each.The OTCs were treated with 400μmol/L BPA,400μmol/L BPA+0.5μg/m L tunicamycin(Tm;ERS activator),400μmol/L BPA+1μmol/L 4-phenyl butyric acid(4-PBA;ERS antagonist)and DMEM/F12 complete medium(control),for 24 h.Results In vivo experiments,pregnant Hu ewes receiving the BPA from 40 to 130 days of pregnancy experienced a decrease in placental efficiency,progesterone(P4)level and fetal weight,and an increase in placental estrogen(E2)level,together with barrier dysfunctions,OS,inflammatory responses,autophagy and ERS in type A cotyledons.In vitro experiment,the OTCs exposed to BPA for 24 h showed an increase in the E2 level and related protein and gene expressions of autophagy,ERS,pro-apoptosis and inflammatory response,and a decrease in the P4 level and the related protein and gene expressions of antioxidant,anti-apoptosis and barrier function.Moreover,treating the OTCs with Tm aggravated BPA-induced dysfunction of barrier and endocrine(the increased E2 level and decreased P4 level),OS,inflammatory responses,autophagy,and ERS.However,treating the OTCs with 4-PBA reversed the counteracted effects of Tm mentioned above.Conclusions In general,the results reveal that BPA exposure can cause ERS in the ovine placenta and OTCs,and ERS induction might aggravate BPA-induced dysfunction of the placental barrier and endocrine,OS,inflammatory responses,and autophagy.These data offer novel mechanistic insights into whether ERS is involved in BPA-mediated placental dysfunction and fetal development.展开更多
BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM)is a special type of diabetes that commonly occurs in women during pregnancy and involves impaired glucose tolerance and abnormal glucose metabolism;GDM is diagnosed for th...BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM)is a special type of diabetes that commonly occurs in women during pregnancy and involves impaired glucose tolerance and abnormal glucose metabolism;GDM is diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy and can affect fetal growth and development.AIM To investigate the associations of serum D-dimer(D-D)and glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c)levels with third-trimester fetal growth restriction(FGR)in GDM patients.METHODS The clinical data of 164 pregnant women who were diagnosed with GDM and delivered at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University from January 2021 to January 2023 were analyzed retrospectively.Among these women,63 whose fetuses had FGR were included in the FGR group,and 101 women whose fetuses had normal body weights were included in the normal body weight group(normal group).Fasting venous blood samples were collected from the elbow at 28-30 wk gestation and 1-3 d before delivery to measure serum D-D and HbA1c levels for comparative analysis.The diagnostic value of serum D-D and HbA1c levels for FGR was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic analysis,and the influencing factors of third-trimester FGR in GDM patients were analyzed by logistic regression.RESULTS Serum fasting blood glucose,fasting insulin,D-D and HbA1c levels were significantly greater in the FGR group than in the normal group,while the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance values were lower(P<0.05).Regarding the diagnosis of FGR based on serum D-D and HbA1c levels,the areas under the curves(AUCs)were 0.826 and 0.848,the cutoff values were 3.04 mg/L and 5.80%,the sensitivities were 81.0%and 79.4%,and the specificities were 88.1%and 87.1%,respectively.The AUC of serum D-D plus HbA1c levels for diagnosing FGR was 0.928,and the sensitivity and specificity were 84.1%and 91.1%,respectively.High D-D and HbA1c levels were risk factors for third-trimester FGR in GDM patients(P<0.05).CONCLUSION D-D and HbA1c levels can indicate the occurrence of FGR in GDM patients in the third trimester of pregnancy to some extent,and their combination can be used as an important index for the early prediction of FGR.展开更多
Background: Fetal weight estimation by ultrasound is an important factor in obstetrics;it is directly related to the gestational age which helps to plan the mode of delivery and labor management. Objective: to compare...Background: Fetal weight estimation by ultrasound is an important factor in obstetrics;it is directly related to the gestational age which helps to plan the mode of delivery and labor management. Objective: to compare between fetal thigh circumference (TC) and abdominal subcutaneous tissue thickness (SCT) in estimating birthweight in term pregnant women. Patients and Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at outpatient clinic or emergency room, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University Maternity Hospitals from March 2022 until May 2023. During this study, 100 term pregnant females with gestational age 37 - 40 weeks attended El Demerdash Maternity Hospital and scheduled for delivery either at outpatient clinic or emergency room were enrolled, after consenting each of them. Basic fetal biometry was performed by an expert and professional medical personnel to ensure the accuracy of examination results. Fetal abdominal subcutaneous thickness and fetal thigh circumference were measured for assessment of gestational age and correlated with actual fetal body weight. In the current study, three formulas;Hadlock, Vintzileos’ and SCT formula were correlated with actual fetal body weight after birth. Results: The present study revealed that TC formula is closer to the actual birth weight, followed by Hadlock formula, while the SCT formula is the furthest from it. Conclusion: To increase the accuracy of birth estimations, regular ultrasound examinations should include fetal thigh circumference measurement.展开更多
Objective: To identify risk factors of perinatal complications among macrosomic babies in a third level health care facility. Method: We conducted a case-control institutional based study. Cases (macrosomic babies and...Objective: To identify risk factors of perinatal complications among macrosomic babies in a third level health care facility. Method: We conducted a case-control institutional based study. Cases (macrosomic babies and mothers with perinatal complications) and controls (pairs free of perinatal complication) of singleton live births were extracted from the maternity registry from January 2017 to December 2019. Matching was done for sex and gestational age after exclusion of genetic cause of macrosomia. The main primary outcome was the risk factors for complications. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio and the magnitude of association between the primary endpoint and the different covariates of the study. Results: Out of 362 couples included, we had 186 cases and 176 controls. The main perinatal complications were the delivery by caesarean section (26.5%) and lesions of the genital canal, 20.2%. There were no maternal deaths. Among newborns, metabolic complications (19.6%) were a leading cause of harmful outcomes before respiratory complications (12.4%), dystocic presentations (6.3%) or traumatic injuries (1.7%). The neonatal case fatality rate was 2.8%. Maternal age ≥30 years (p = 0.024);non-screening for gestational diabetes (p = 0.027);history of caesarean section (p = 0.041);weight gain ≥16 kg (p 0.001);maternal HIV (p = 0.047);birth weight ≥4500 g (p = 0.015) and birth height ≥52.7 ± 1.7 cm (p = 0.026) were risk factors for perinatal adverse outcomes. Conclusion: The delivery of a macrosomic baby remains problematic in this setting, and emphasizes the need to improve routine screening of gestational diabetes within a quality of prenatal follow-up through a multidisciplinary perinatal team involving obstetricians, endocrinologists and neonatal pediatricians.展开更多
Fetal growth restriction(FGR)describes a fetus that has not grown to its expected biological potential in utero.FGR can result from maternal,fetal,or placental complications,though it is commonly caused by placental i...Fetal growth restriction(FGR)describes a fetus that has not grown to its expected biological potential in utero.FGR can result from maternal,fetal,or placental complications,though it is commonly caused by placental insufficiency.The prolonged hypoxic environment the FGR fetus is exposed to has detrimental effects on the newborn,which extends to adverse long-term neurological outcomes in a significant proportion of FGR infants(Malhotra et al.,2019).Unfortunately,there are currently no therapies to reduce the adverse neurological outcomes in FGR.Neuronal injury is evident in the FGR brain,and therefore understanding which neurons are lost and how they are lost will aid in the selection of treatment options for FGR.展开更多
Fetal growth restriction(FGR)is one of the most common contributors to increased risk of mortality in the fetal/neonatal period and long-term morbidity in the infant(Malhotra et al.,2019).FGR can arise from many patho...Fetal growth restriction(FGR)is one of the most common contributors to increased risk of mortality in the fetal/neonatal period and long-term morbidity in the infant(Malhotra et al.,2019).FGR can arise from many pathophysiological processes associated with maternal,fetal,genetic,or placental compromise;however,placental insufficiency is the most common cause of FGR.Placental insufficiency during pregnancy results in chronic fetal hypoxia where a lack of oxygen and nutrients supply to the developing fetus impacts normal development of the fetus.展开更多
Data from studies analyzing the differentiation and functional connectivity of embryo nic neural tissue grafted into the mammalian nervous system has led to the clinical testing of the fetal graft approach in patients...Data from studies analyzing the differentiation and functional connectivity of embryo nic neural tissue grafted into the mammalian nervous system has led to the clinical testing of the fetal graft approach in patients with neurodegenerative disease.While some success has been achieved,ethical concerns have led to a search for alternative therapeutic strategies,mostly exploring the use of neural precursors or neurons derived from pluripotent stem cells to replace damaged host neurons and restore lost circuitries.These more recent studies address questions of graft viability,differentiation,and connectivity similar to those posed by researchers in earlier fetal transplant work,thus reviews of the fetal graft literature may inform and help guide ongoing research in the stem cell/organoid field.This brief review describes some key observations from research into the transplantation of neural tissue into the rat visual syste m,focusing on grafts of the fetal supe rior colliculus(tectal grafts) into neonatal or adult hosts.In neonate hosts,grafts quickly develop connections with the underlying host mid b rain and attain a morphology typical of mature grafts by about 2 weeks.G rafts consistently contain numerous localized regions which,based on neurofibrillar staining,neuronal morphology(Golgi),neurochemistry,receptor expression,and glial architecture,are homologous to the stratum griseum supe rficiale of normal superior colliculus.These localized "patches" are also seen after explant culture and when donor tectal tissue is dissociated and reaggregated prior to transplantation.In almost all circumstances,host retinal innervation is restricted to these localized patches,but only those that are located adjacent to the graft surfa ce.Synapses are formed and there is evidence of functional drive.The only exception occurs when Schwann cells are added to dissociated tecta prior to reaggregation.In these co-grafts,the peripheral glia appear to compete with local target fa ctors and host retinal ingrowth is more widespread.Other afferent systems(e.g.,host co rtex,serotonin) show different patterns of innervation.The host cortical input originates more from extrastriate regions and establishes functional excitato ry synapses with grafted neurons.Finally,when grafted into optic tra ct lesions in adult rat hosts,spontaneously regrowing host retinal axons retain the capacity to selectively innervate the localized patches in embryonic tectal grafts,showing that the specific affinities between adult retinal axons and their targets are not lost during regeneration.While the research described here provides some pertinent information about development and plasticity in visual pathways,a more general aim is to highlight how the review of the extensive fetal graft lite rature may aid in an appreciation of the positive(and negative) fa ctors that influence survival,differentiation,connectivity and functionality of engineered cells and organoids transplanted into the central nervous system.展开更多
Central nervous system abnormalities in fetuses are fairly common,happening in 0.1%to 0.2%of live births and in 3%to 6%of stillbirths.So initial detection and categorization of fetal Brain abnormalities are critical.M...Central nervous system abnormalities in fetuses are fairly common,happening in 0.1%to 0.2%of live births and in 3%to 6%of stillbirths.So initial detection and categorization of fetal Brain abnormalities are critical.Manually detecting and segmenting fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)could be timeconsuming,and susceptible to interpreter experience.Artificial intelligence(AI)algorithms and machine learning approaches have a high potential for assisting in the early detection of these problems,improving the diagnosis process and follow-up procedures.The use of AI and machine learning techniques in fetal brain MRI was the subject of this narrative review paper.Using AI,anatomic fetal brain MRI processing has investigated models to predict specific landmarks and segmentation automatically.All gestation age weeks(17-38 wk)and different AI models(mainly Convolutional Neural Network and U-Net)have been used.Some models'accuracy achieved 95%and more.AI could help preprocess and postprocess fetal images and reconstruct images.Also,AI can be used for gestational age prediction(with one-week accuracy),fetal brain extraction,fetal brain segmentation,and placenta detection.Some fetal brain linear measurements,such as Cerebral and Bone Biparietal Diameter,have been suggested.Classification of brain pathology was studied using diagonal quadratic discriminates analysis,Knearest neighbor,random forest,naive Bayes,and radial basis function neural network classifiers.Deep learning methods will become more powerful as more large-scale,labeled datasets become available.Having shared fetal brain MRI datasets is crucial because there aren not many fetal brain pictures available.Also,physicians should be aware of AI's function in fetal brain MRI,particularly neuroradiologists,general radiologists,and perinatologists.展开更多
Objective:This study aimed to investigate the potential of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell(hucMSC)-derived exosomes(hucMSC-Exos)in inhibiting hypoxia-induced cell hyper proliferation and overexpression of v...Objective:This study aimed to investigate the potential of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell(hucMSC)-derived exosomes(hucMSC-Exos)in inhibiting hypoxia-induced cell hyper proliferation and overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGF-A)in immature human fetal retinal microvascular endothelial cells(hfRMECs).Methods:Exosomes were isolated from hucMSCs using cryogenic ultracentrifugation and characterized through various techniques,including transmission electron microscopy,nanoparticle tracking analysis,bicinchoninic acid assays,and western blotting.The hfRMECs were identified using von Willebrand factor(vWF)co-staining and divided into four groups:a control group cultured under normoxic condition,a hypoxic model group,a hypoxic group treated with low-concentration hucMSC-Exos(75μg/mL)and a hypoxic group treated with high-concentration hucMSC-Exos(100μg/mL).Cell viability and proliferation were assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8)assay and EdU(5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine)assay respectively.Expression levels of VEGF-A were evaluated using RT-PCR,western blotting and immunofluorescence.Results:Hypoxia significantly increased hfRMECs’viability and proliferation by upregulating VEGF-A levels.The administration of hucMSC-Exos effectively reversed this response,with the high-concentration group exhibiting greater efficacy compared to the lowconcentration group.Conclusion:In conclusion,hucMSC-Exos can dose-dependently inhibit hypoxia-induced hyperproliferation and VEGF-A overexpression in immature fetal retinal microvascular endothelial cells.展开更多
Fetal growth restriction(FGR),or intrauterine growth restriction(IUGR),is a complication of pregnancy where the fetus does not achieve its genetic growth potential.FGR is characterized by a pathological retardation of...Fetal growth restriction(FGR),or intrauterine growth restriction(IUGR),is a complication of pregnancy where the fetus does not achieve its genetic growth potential.FGR is characterized by a pathological retardation of intrauterine growth velocity in the curve of intrauterine growth.However,the FGR definition is still debated,and there is a lack of a uniform definition in the literature.True IUGR,compared to constitutional smallness,is a pathological condition in which the placenta fails to deliver an adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients to the developing fetus.Infants with IUGR,compared to appropriately grown gestational age infants,have a significantly higher risk of mortality and neonatal complications with long-term consequences.Several studies have demonstrated how suboptimal fetal growth leads to long-lasting physiological alterations for the developing fetus as well as for the newborn and adult in the future.The long-term effects of fetal growth retardation may be adaptations to poor oxygen and nutrient supply that are effective in the fetal period but deleterious in the long term through structural or functional alterations.Epidemiologic studies showed that FGR could be a contributing factor for adult chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease,metabolic syndrome,diabetes,respiratory diseases and impaired lung function,and chronic kidney disease.In this review we discussed pathophysiologic mechanisms of FGR-related complications and potential preventive measures for FGR.展开更多
Congenital heart defect,accounting for about 30%of congenital defects,is the most common one.Data shows that congenital heart defects have seriously affected the birth rate of healthy newborns.In Fetal andNeonatal Car...Congenital heart defect,accounting for about 30%of congenital defects,is the most common one.Data shows that congenital heart defects have seriously affected the birth rate of healthy newborns.In Fetal andNeonatal Cardiology,medical imaging technology(2D ultrasonic,MRI)has been proved to be helpful to detect congenital defects of the fetal heart and assists sonographers in prenatal diagnosis.It is a highly complex task to recognize 2D fetal heart ultrasonic standard plane(FHUSP)manually.Compared withmanual identification,automatic identification through artificial intelligence can save a lot of time,ensure the efficiency of diagnosis,and improve the accuracy of diagnosis.In this study,a feature extraction method based on texture features(Local Binary Pattern LBP and Histogram of Oriented Gradient HOG)and combined with Bag of Words(BOW)model is carried out,and then feature fusion is performed.Finally,it adopts Support VectorMachine(SVM)to realize automatic recognition and classification of FHUSP.The data includes 788 standard plane data sets and 448 normal and abnormal plane data sets.Compared with some other methods and the single method model,the classification accuracy of our model has been obviously improved,with the highest accuracy reaching 87.35%.Similarly,we also verify the performance of the model in normal and abnormal planes,and the average accuracy in classifying abnormal and normal planes is 84.92%.The experimental results show that thismethod can effectively classify and predict different FHUSP and can provide certain assistance for sonographers to diagnose fetal congenital heart disease.展开更多
Background: Amniotic fluid turbidity increases with fetal lung maturation due to vernix and lung surfactant micelles suspended in the amniotic fluid. This study focused on this phenomenon and evaluated the presence or...Background: Amniotic fluid turbidity increases with fetal lung maturation due to vernix and lung surfactant micelles suspended in the amniotic fluid. This study focused on this phenomenon and evaluated the presence or absence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)/transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN) by quantitatively assessing the brightness of the amniotic fluid turbidity using a noninvasive ultrasound histogram measurement function. Methods: We included cases of singleton pregnancies managed at the Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital between November 2020 and March 2022. Histograms of amniotic fluid turbidity were measured at the center of the amniotic fluid depth, avoiding the fetus, placenta, and umbilical cord, with the gain setting set to 0, and the average value was obtained after three measurements. Histograms of fetal urine in the bladder were measured similarly. The value obtained by subtracting the fetal bladder brightness value from the amniotic brightness value based on histogram measurements was used as the final amniotic fluid brightness value. Results: We included 118 cases (16 of RDS/TTN and 102 of control). The gestational age of delivery weeks was correlated with amniotic fluid brightness (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was 0.344;p = 0.00014). Amniotic fluid brightness values were significantly lower in the RDS/TTN group than in the control group (RDS/TTN: 16.2 ± 13.5, control: 26.3 ± 16.3;p = 0.020). The optimal cutoff value of amniotic fluid brightness to predict RDS/TTN was 20.3. For predicting RDS/TTN, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 91.7%, 69.6%, 26.2%, and 94.1%, respectively. Conclusions: The quantitative value of the amniotic fluid brightness by histogram measurements may provide an easy and objective index for evaluating the presence or absence of RDS/TTN.展开更多
Cardiotocography(CTG)represents the fetus’s health inside the womb during labor.However,assessment of its readings can be a highly subjective process depending on the expertise of the obstetrician.Digital signals fro...Cardiotocography(CTG)represents the fetus’s health inside the womb during labor.However,assessment of its readings can be a highly subjective process depending on the expertise of the obstetrician.Digital signals from fetal monitors acquire parameters(i.e.,fetal heart rate,contractions,acceleration).Objective:This paper aims to classify the CTG readings containing imbalanced healthy,suspected,and pathological fetus readings.Method:We perform two sets of experiments.Firstly,we employ five classifiers:Random Forest(RF),Adaptive Boosting(AdaBoost),Categorical Boosting(CatBoost),Extreme Gradient Boosting(XGBoost),and Light Gradient Boosting Machine(LGBM)without over-sampling to classify CTG readings into three categories:healthy,suspected,and pathological.Secondly,we employ an ensemble of the above-described classifiers with the oversamplingmethod.We use a random over-sampling technique to balance CTG records to train the ensemble models.We use 3602 CTG readings to train the ensemble classifiers and 1201 records to evaluate them.The outcomes of these classifiers are then fed into the soft voting classifier to obtain the most accurate results.Results:Each classifier evaluates accuracy,Precision,Recall,F1-scores,and Area Under the Receiver Operating Curve(AUROC)values.Results reveal that the XGBoost,LGBM,and CatBoost classifiers yielded 99%accuracy.Conclusion:Using ensemble classifiers over a balanced CTG dataset improves the detection accuracy compared to the previous studies and our first experiment.A soft voting classifier then eliminates the weakness of one individual classifier to yield superior performance of the overall model.展开更多
BACKGROUND Primiparas are usually at high risk of experiencing perinatal depression,which may cause prolonged labor,increased blood loss,and intensified pain,affecting maternal and fetal outcomes.Therefore,interventio...BACKGROUND Primiparas are usually at high risk of experiencing perinatal depression,which may cause prolonged labor,increased blood loss,and intensified pain,affecting maternal and fetal outcomes.Therefore,interventions are necessary to improve maternal and fetal outcomes and alleviate primiparas’negative emotions(NEs).AIM To discusses the impact of nursing responsibility in midwifery and postural and psychological interventions on maternal and fetal outcomes as well as primiparas’NEs.METHODS As participants,115 primiparas admitted to Quanzhou Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital between May 2020 and May 2022 were selected.Among them,56 primiparas(control group,Con)were subjected to conventional midwifery and routine nursing.The remaining 59(research group,Res)were subjected to the nursing model of midwifery and postural and psychological interventions.Both groups were comparatively analyzed from the perspectives of delivery mode(cesarean,natural,or forceps-assisted),maternal and fetal outcomes(uterine inertia,postpartum hemorrhage,placental abruption,neonatal pulmonary injury,and neonatal asphyxia),NEs(Hamilton Anxiety/Depressionrating Scale,HAMA/HAMD),labor duration,and nursing satisfaction.RESULTS The Res exhibited a markedly higher natural delivery rate and nursing satisfaction than the Con.Additionally,the Res indicated a lower incidence of adverse events(e.g.,uterine inertia,postpartum hemorrhage,placental abruption,neonatal lung injury,and neonatal asphyxia)and shortened duration of various stages of labor.It also showed statistically lower post-interventional HAMA and HAMD scores than the Con and pre-interventional values.CONCLUSION The nursing model of midwifery and postural and psychological interventions increase the natural delivery rate and reduce the duration of each labor stage.These are also conducive to improving maternal and fetal outcomes and mitigating primiparas’NEs and thus deserve popularity in clinical practice.展开更多
Background: Retention of fetal bones is a rare cause of abnormal uterine bleeding. Others may present as subfertility, chronic pelvic pain, abnormal vaginal discharge, menometrorrhagia, dysmenorrhea and spontaneous ex...Background: Retention of fetal bones is a rare cause of abnormal uterine bleeding. Others may present as subfertility, chronic pelvic pain, abnormal vaginal discharge, menometrorrhagia, dysmenorrhea and spontaneous expulsion of bony fragments. Incidence is 0.26% among patients undergoing hysteroscopy. Aim: To document a pattern of presentation of retained fetal bone and its management. Case Presentation: Our patient is an 18-year old who presented with vaginal bleeding of four weeks duration and managed for abnormal uterine bleeding due to retained fetal bone following second trimester abortion. Conclusion: The use of transvaginal ultrasound in making diagnosis of retained fetal bone is effective. Treatment by removal of bones through evacuation by dilatation and curettage or hysteroscopy brings about resolution of symptoms. Use of pelvic ultrasonography to confirm complete evacuation of the uterus after abortion especially second trimester abortion could aid in early diagnosis and management of incomplete abortion.展开更多
Background: Studies on physical activity during pregnancy and its impact on mother and fetus are still limited. International protocols consider only aerobic exercise and fail to provide information about other modali...Background: Studies on physical activity during pregnancy and its impact on mother and fetus are still limited. International protocols consider only aerobic exercise and fail to provide information about other modalities such as isometric exercise. Isometric exercise promotes cardiorespiratory resistance and muscle strengthening, but it is rarely tested on pregnant women because it increases maternal blood pressure and can subsequently affect placental circulation. Objectives: To assess the fetal response by use of Doppler study in diabetes pregnant women submitted to isometric exercise. Methods: A cross-sectional experimental study was conducted on 25 diabetes pregnant women with gestational age between 26 and 36 weeks. The patients were submitted to isometric handgrip, and data were collected from the mother (blood pressure, heart rate and Doppler velocimetry for the uterine arteries) and from the fetus (heart rate, Doppler velocimetry for the umbilical artery, middle cerebral artery and ductus venosus). All variables were collected before, during and after the isometric handgrip. Results: There was a significant reduction in the pulsatilityindex (average values pre 0.77 ± 0.30, trans 0.65 ± 0.22, and post 0.75 ± 0.22, with p = 0.001), resistance index (average values pre 0.49 ± 0.12, trans 0.44 ± 0.10, and post 0.48 ± 0.90, with p = </span.展开更多
Background: HELLP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets) syndrome is a common complication of severe preeclampsia, with a high maternal and perinatal mortality rate. Data on HELLP syndrome is scanty in ...Background: HELLP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets) syndrome is a common complication of severe preeclampsia, with a high maternal and perinatal mortality rate. Data on HELLP syndrome is scanty in our setting. We sought to study the clinical presentation, management, and materno-fetal outcome of patients with HELLP syndrome at the Yaoundé Gyneco-Obstetrics and Pediatric Hospital (YGOPH). Methods: This was a cross-sectional, analytical study with a retrospective data collection of patients, diagnosed with HELLP syndrome at the YGOPH between 1st January 2020 and 31st July 2021. Data were analyzed using the software R version 4.0.2. Results are presented as mean ± standard deviation, frequencies and percentages. P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Of 254 cases of severe preeclampsia, 17 developed HELLP syndrome, giving us a frequency of 6.7%. One patient who presented with hepatitis B was excluded. The mean age was 27.19 ± 6.44 years. Most patients (56.3%) had poor follow up during antenatal contacts. The most common symptom was headache (93.8%). Most cases (56.3%) were diagnosed during post-partum, prepartum (25.0%), and per partum (18.8%). Obstetrical management was done by cesarean section (62.5%) and vaginal delivery (37.5%). Post-partum management of HELLP syndrome consisted of antihypertensive medication, anticonvulsants, sedatives, transfusion of blood and blood products, and fluid resuscitation. Of the 50% of patients who presented with acute kidney injury, only 12.5% (1) were referred for dialysis. Over 50% of our study participants presented severe complications after delivery, but 43.8% recovered, while 56.2% finally died. The fetal outcome was: still birth (31.2%), intra-uterine growth restriction/low birth weight (12.5%), term delivery (≥37 weeks) (31.3%), and preterm deliveries (<37 weeks) (68.7%). Three (18.8%) of the neonates delivered alive presented with a poor Apgar score at the 5th minute. Conclusion: Although rare, HELLP syndrome exists in our setting. Proper management in appropriate centers is key to improving maternal and fetal outcomes.展开更多
Objectives: This paper aims to study the epidemiology and causes of fetal deaths in utero at Regional Hospital Amath Dansokho of Kedougou (RHADK). Methodology: This was a retrospective epidemiological study conducted ...Objectives: This paper aims to study the epidemiology and causes of fetal deaths in utero at Regional Hospital Amath Dansokho of Kedougou (RHADK). Methodology: This was a retrospective epidemiological study conducted at the Maternity Ward of the Regional Hospital Amath Dansokho of Kedougou from June 01, 2022 to June 30, 2023, including all patients seen for delivery care. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS 22, Windows version). The parameters studied were the frequency of in-utero fetal death, sociodemographic characteristics, pregnancy and delivery data, neonatal data and cause-of-death classification according to the Cause of Death and Associated Conditions (CODAC) classification. Results: We recorded 1628 deliveries, with 231 cases of in-utero fetal death, a frequency of 14.2%. Fetal death occurred most frequently in multiparous women (64.5%). The majority of patients (72.3%) were transferred. 51.9% of patients with fetal death had at least 3 antenatal visits. On admission, fetal heart rate was absent in 73.2% of patients. The etiology of in-utero fetal death was dominated by maternal factors (high blood pressure, anaemia and diabetes), which accounted for 36.9% of deaths, followed by placental pathologies (retroplacental haematoma) and intrapartum pathologies (uterine rupture, abnormal presentation). Conclusion: In-utero fetal death can be prevented, and is mainly due to direct obstetric complications. The focus should be on the prevention and management of hypertensive disorders and their complications during pregnancy, the fight against anaemia and, above all, the rapid and correct management of dystocia.展开更多
文摘Objective: This study aimed to assess perinatal morbidity, mortality rates, and neurodevelopmental outcomes in the management of fetal growth restriction (FGR) at a single tertiary institute. Methods: Among 2465 deliveries between 2013 and 2019, 109 cases of FGR were reviewed retrospectively for causes, indications for pregnancy termination, perinatal death, overall neonatal outcomes, and long-term prognosis. Results: Excluding FGR due to congenital anomalies (n = 17), the mortality rate was 3.3% (3/92). One neonate delivered at 23 weeks developed cerebral palsy (1.1%). Retinopathy of prematurity occurred in four neonates (4.3%). Neurodevelopmental disorders were present in six neonates (6.5%), all of whom were delivered at 32 - 38 weeks. Significantly lower gestational age at delivery, lower birth weight, and higher umbilical artery resistance indices were observed in neonates with neurodevelopmental disorders. Conclusions: Intact survival before 27 weeks of gestation at delivery with FGR is uncommon. Neurodevelopmental disorders may still develop after delivery at 32 - 38 weeks;consideration should be given to the timing of delivery usingfetal ductus venosus Doppler waveforms measurements to reduce neurodevelopmental disorders.
文摘It is widely assumed that fetal ischemic brain injury during labor derives almost exclusively from severe, systemic hypoxemia with marked neonatal depression and acidemia. Severe asphyxia, however, is one of several causes of perinatal neurological injury and may not be the most common;most neonates diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy do not have evidence of severe asphyxia. Sepsis, direct brain trauma, and drug or toxin exposure account for some cases, while mechanical forces of labor and delivery that increase fetal intracranial pressure sufficiently to impair brain perfusion may also contribute. Because of bony compliance and mobile suture lines, the fetal skull changes shape and redistributes cerebrospinal fluid during labor according to constraints imposed by contractions, and bony and soft tissue elements of the birth canal as the head descends. These accommodations, including the increase in intracranial pressure, are adaptive and necessary for efficient descent of the head while safeguarding cerebral blood flow. Autonomic reflexes mediated through central receptors normally provide ample protection of the brain from the considerable pressure exerted on the skull. On occasion, those forces, which are transmitted intracranially, may overcome the various adaptive anatomical, cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological mechanisms that maintain cerebral perfusion and oxygen availability, resulting in ischemic brain injury. Accepting the notion of a potentially adverse impact of fetal head compression suggests that avoidance of excessive uterine activity and of relentless pushing without steady progress in descent may offer protection for the fetal brain during parturition. Excessive head compression should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ischemic encephalopathy.
基金supported by the fund for the National 14th Five-Year Plan Key Research and Development Program(2021YFD1600702)XPCC Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Project(NCG202232)the Top Talents Award Plan of Yangzhou University(2020)。
文摘Background Exposure to bisphenol A(BPA),an environmental pollutant known for its endocrine-disrupting properties,during gestation has been reported to increase the risk of fetal growth restriction(FGR)in an ovine model of pregnancy.We hypothesized that the FGR results from the BPA-induced insufficiency and barrier dysfunction of the placenta,oxidative stress,inflammatory responses,autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS).However,precise mechanisms underlying the BPA-induced placental dysfunction,and subsequently,FGR,as well as the potential involvement of placental ERS in these complications,remain to be investigated.Methods In vivo experiment,16 twin-pregnant(from d 40 to 130 of gestation)Hu ewes were randomly distributed into two groups(8 ewes each).One group served as a control and received corn oil once a day,whereas the other group received BPA(5 mg/kg/d as a subcutaneous injection).In vitro study,ovine trophoblast cells(OTCs)were exposed to 4 treatments,6 replicates each.The OTCs were treated with 400μmol/L BPA,400μmol/L BPA+0.5μg/m L tunicamycin(Tm;ERS activator),400μmol/L BPA+1μmol/L 4-phenyl butyric acid(4-PBA;ERS antagonist)and DMEM/F12 complete medium(control),for 24 h.Results In vivo experiments,pregnant Hu ewes receiving the BPA from 40 to 130 days of pregnancy experienced a decrease in placental efficiency,progesterone(P4)level and fetal weight,and an increase in placental estrogen(E2)level,together with barrier dysfunctions,OS,inflammatory responses,autophagy and ERS in type A cotyledons.In vitro experiment,the OTCs exposed to BPA for 24 h showed an increase in the E2 level and related protein and gene expressions of autophagy,ERS,pro-apoptosis and inflammatory response,and a decrease in the P4 level and the related protein and gene expressions of antioxidant,anti-apoptosis and barrier function.Moreover,treating the OTCs with Tm aggravated BPA-induced dysfunction of barrier and endocrine(the increased E2 level and decreased P4 level),OS,inflammatory responses,autophagy,and ERS.However,treating the OTCs with 4-PBA reversed the counteracted effects of Tm mentioned above.Conclusions In general,the results reveal that BPA exposure can cause ERS in the ovine placenta and OTCs,and ERS induction might aggravate BPA-induced dysfunction of the placental barrier and endocrine,OS,inflammatory responses,and autophagy.These data offer novel mechanistic insights into whether ERS is involved in BPA-mediated placental dysfunction and fetal development.
文摘BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM)is a special type of diabetes that commonly occurs in women during pregnancy and involves impaired glucose tolerance and abnormal glucose metabolism;GDM is diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy and can affect fetal growth and development.AIM To investigate the associations of serum D-dimer(D-D)and glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c)levels with third-trimester fetal growth restriction(FGR)in GDM patients.METHODS The clinical data of 164 pregnant women who were diagnosed with GDM and delivered at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University from January 2021 to January 2023 were analyzed retrospectively.Among these women,63 whose fetuses had FGR were included in the FGR group,and 101 women whose fetuses had normal body weights were included in the normal body weight group(normal group).Fasting venous blood samples were collected from the elbow at 28-30 wk gestation and 1-3 d before delivery to measure serum D-D and HbA1c levels for comparative analysis.The diagnostic value of serum D-D and HbA1c levels for FGR was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic analysis,and the influencing factors of third-trimester FGR in GDM patients were analyzed by logistic regression.RESULTS Serum fasting blood glucose,fasting insulin,D-D and HbA1c levels were significantly greater in the FGR group than in the normal group,while the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance values were lower(P<0.05).Regarding the diagnosis of FGR based on serum D-D and HbA1c levels,the areas under the curves(AUCs)were 0.826 and 0.848,the cutoff values were 3.04 mg/L and 5.80%,the sensitivities were 81.0%and 79.4%,and the specificities were 88.1%and 87.1%,respectively.The AUC of serum D-D plus HbA1c levels for diagnosing FGR was 0.928,and the sensitivity and specificity were 84.1%and 91.1%,respectively.High D-D and HbA1c levels were risk factors for third-trimester FGR in GDM patients(P<0.05).CONCLUSION D-D and HbA1c levels can indicate the occurrence of FGR in GDM patients in the third trimester of pregnancy to some extent,and their combination can be used as an important index for the early prediction of FGR.
文摘Background: Fetal weight estimation by ultrasound is an important factor in obstetrics;it is directly related to the gestational age which helps to plan the mode of delivery and labor management. Objective: to compare between fetal thigh circumference (TC) and abdominal subcutaneous tissue thickness (SCT) in estimating birthweight in term pregnant women. Patients and Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at outpatient clinic or emergency room, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University Maternity Hospitals from March 2022 until May 2023. During this study, 100 term pregnant females with gestational age 37 - 40 weeks attended El Demerdash Maternity Hospital and scheduled for delivery either at outpatient clinic or emergency room were enrolled, after consenting each of them. Basic fetal biometry was performed by an expert and professional medical personnel to ensure the accuracy of examination results. Fetal abdominal subcutaneous thickness and fetal thigh circumference were measured for assessment of gestational age and correlated with actual fetal body weight. In the current study, three formulas;Hadlock, Vintzileos’ and SCT formula were correlated with actual fetal body weight after birth. Results: The present study revealed that TC formula is closer to the actual birth weight, followed by Hadlock formula, while the SCT formula is the furthest from it. Conclusion: To increase the accuracy of birth estimations, regular ultrasound examinations should include fetal thigh circumference measurement.
文摘Objective: To identify risk factors of perinatal complications among macrosomic babies in a third level health care facility. Method: We conducted a case-control institutional based study. Cases (macrosomic babies and mothers with perinatal complications) and controls (pairs free of perinatal complication) of singleton live births were extracted from the maternity registry from January 2017 to December 2019. Matching was done for sex and gestational age after exclusion of genetic cause of macrosomia. The main primary outcome was the risk factors for complications. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio and the magnitude of association between the primary endpoint and the different covariates of the study. Results: Out of 362 couples included, we had 186 cases and 176 controls. The main perinatal complications were the delivery by caesarean section (26.5%) and lesions of the genital canal, 20.2%. There were no maternal deaths. Among newborns, metabolic complications (19.6%) were a leading cause of harmful outcomes before respiratory complications (12.4%), dystocic presentations (6.3%) or traumatic injuries (1.7%). The neonatal case fatality rate was 2.8%. Maternal age ≥30 years (p = 0.024);non-screening for gestational diabetes (p = 0.027);history of caesarean section (p = 0.041);weight gain ≥16 kg (p 0.001);maternal HIV (p = 0.047);birth weight ≥4500 g (p = 0.015) and birth height ≥52.7 ± 1.7 cm (p = 0.026) were risk factors for perinatal adverse outcomes. Conclusion: The delivery of a macrosomic baby remains problematic in this setting, and emphasizes the need to improve routine screening of gestational diabetes within a quality of prenatal follow-up through a multidisciplinary perinatal team involving obstetricians, endocrinologists and neonatal pediatricians.
基金supported by The University of Queensland Stimulus Fellowship(to JAW)Queensland Children’s Hospital Foundation Grant(No.WIS0012021,to support KB)。
文摘Fetal growth restriction(FGR)describes a fetus that has not grown to its expected biological potential in utero.FGR can result from maternal,fetal,or placental complications,though it is commonly caused by placental insufficiency.The prolonged hypoxic environment the FGR fetus is exposed to has detrimental effects on the newborn,which extends to adverse long-term neurological outcomes in a significant proportion of FGR infants(Malhotra et al.,2019).Unfortunately,there are currently no therapies to reduce the adverse neurological outcomes in FGR.Neuronal injury is evident in the FGR brain,and therefore understanding which neurons are lost and how they are lost will aid in the selection of treatment options for FGR.
基金supported by a University of Queensland Stimulus Fello wship。
文摘Fetal growth restriction(FGR)is one of the most common contributors to increased risk of mortality in the fetal/neonatal period and long-term morbidity in the infant(Malhotra et al.,2019).FGR can arise from many pathophysiological processes associated with maternal,fetal,genetic,or placental compromise;however,placental insufficiency is the most common cause of FGR.Placental insufficiency during pregnancy results in chronic fetal hypoxia where a lack of oxygen and nutrients supply to the developing fetus impacts normal development of the fetus.
文摘Data from studies analyzing the differentiation and functional connectivity of embryo nic neural tissue grafted into the mammalian nervous system has led to the clinical testing of the fetal graft approach in patients with neurodegenerative disease.While some success has been achieved,ethical concerns have led to a search for alternative therapeutic strategies,mostly exploring the use of neural precursors or neurons derived from pluripotent stem cells to replace damaged host neurons and restore lost circuitries.These more recent studies address questions of graft viability,differentiation,and connectivity similar to those posed by researchers in earlier fetal transplant work,thus reviews of the fetal graft literature may inform and help guide ongoing research in the stem cell/organoid field.This brief review describes some key observations from research into the transplantation of neural tissue into the rat visual syste m,focusing on grafts of the fetal supe rior colliculus(tectal grafts) into neonatal or adult hosts.In neonate hosts,grafts quickly develop connections with the underlying host mid b rain and attain a morphology typical of mature grafts by about 2 weeks.G rafts consistently contain numerous localized regions which,based on neurofibrillar staining,neuronal morphology(Golgi),neurochemistry,receptor expression,and glial architecture,are homologous to the stratum griseum supe rficiale of normal superior colliculus.These localized "patches" are also seen after explant culture and when donor tectal tissue is dissociated and reaggregated prior to transplantation.In almost all circumstances,host retinal innervation is restricted to these localized patches,but only those that are located adjacent to the graft surfa ce.Synapses are formed and there is evidence of functional drive.The only exception occurs when Schwann cells are added to dissociated tecta prior to reaggregation.In these co-grafts,the peripheral glia appear to compete with local target fa ctors and host retinal ingrowth is more widespread.Other afferent systems(e.g.,host co rtex,serotonin) show different patterns of innervation.The host cortical input originates more from extrastriate regions and establishes functional excitato ry synapses with grafted neurons.Finally,when grafted into optic tra ct lesions in adult rat hosts,spontaneously regrowing host retinal axons retain the capacity to selectively innervate the localized patches in embryonic tectal grafts,showing that the specific affinities between adult retinal axons and their targets are not lost during regeneration.While the research described here provides some pertinent information about development and plasticity in visual pathways,a more general aim is to highlight how the review of the extensive fetal graft lite rature may aid in an appreciation of the positive(and negative) fa ctors that influence survival,differentiation,connectivity and functionality of engineered cells and organoids transplanted into the central nervous system.
基金Supported by Colonel Robert R McCormick Professorship of Diagnostic Imaging Fund at Rush University Medical Center(The Activity Number is 1233-161-84),No.8410152-03.
文摘Central nervous system abnormalities in fetuses are fairly common,happening in 0.1%to 0.2%of live births and in 3%to 6%of stillbirths.So initial detection and categorization of fetal Brain abnormalities are critical.Manually detecting and segmenting fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)could be timeconsuming,and susceptible to interpreter experience.Artificial intelligence(AI)algorithms and machine learning approaches have a high potential for assisting in the early detection of these problems,improving the diagnosis process and follow-up procedures.The use of AI and machine learning techniques in fetal brain MRI was the subject of this narrative review paper.Using AI,anatomic fetal brain MRI processing has investigated models to predict specific landmarks and segmentation automatically.All gestation age weeks(17-38 wk)and different AI models(mainly Convolutional Neural Network and U-Net)have been used.Some models'accuracy achieved 95%and more.AI could help preprocess and postprocess fetal images and reconstruct images.Also,AI can be used for gestational age prediction(with one-week accuracy),fetal brain extraction,fetal brain segmentation,and placenta detection.Some fetal brain linear measurements,such as Cerebral and Bone Biparietal Diameter,have been suggested.Classification of brain pathology was studied using diagonal quadratic discriminates analysis,Knearest neighbor,random forest,naive Bayes,and radial basis function neural network classifiers.Deep learning methods will become more powerful as more large-scale,labeled datasets become available.Having shared fetal brain MRI datasets is crucial because there aren not many fetal brain pictures available.Also,physicians should be aware of AI's function in fetal brain MRI,particularly neuroradiologists,general radiologists,and perinatologists.
基金supported by the following funds:1.Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province(A2022221)Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province(2019A1515011417)+2 种基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(81970806,82271094)Science and Technology Projects in Guangzhou(202201020030,202201020015)Guangdong High-Level Hospital Construction Fund(ynkt2021-zz16).
文摘Objective:This study aimed to investigate the potential of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell(hucMSC)-derived exosomes(hucMSC-Exos)in inhibiting hypoxia-induced cell hyper proliferation and overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGF-A)in immature human fetal retinal microvascular endothelial cells(hfRMECs).Methods:Exosomes were isolated from hucMSCs using cryogenic ultracentrifugation and characterized through various techniques,including transmission electron microscopy,nanoparticle tracking analysis,bicinchoninic acid assays,and western blotting.The hfRMECs were identified using von Willebrand factor(vWF)co-staining and divided into four groups:a control group cultured under normoxic condition,a hypoxic model group,a hypoxic group treated with low-concentration hucMSC-Exos(75μg/mL)and a hypoxic group treated with high-concentration hucMSC-Exos(100μg/mL).Cell viability and proliferation were assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8)assay and EdU(5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine)assay respectively.Expression levels of VEGF-A were evaluated using RT-PCR,western blotting and immunofluorescence.Results:Hypoxia significantly increased hfRMECs’viability and proliferation by upregulating VEGF-A levels.The administration of hucMSC-Exos effectively reversed this response,with the high-concentration group exhibiting greater efficacy compared to the lowconcentration group.Conclusion:In conclusion,hucMSC-Exos can dose-dependently inhibit hypoxia-induced hyperproliferation and VEGF-A overexpression in immature fetal retinal microvascular endothelial cells.
文摘Fetal growth restriction(FGR),or intrauterine growth restriction(IUGR),is a complication of pregnancy where the fetus does not achieve its genetic growth potential.FGR is characterized by a pathological retardation of intrauterine growth velocity in the curve of intrauterine growth.However,the FGR definition is still debated,and there is a lack of a uniform definition in the literature.True IUGR,compared to constitutional smallness,is a pathological condition in which the placenta fails to deliver an adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients to the developing fetus.Infants with IUGR,compared to appropriately grown gestational age infants,have a significantly higher risk of mortality and neonatal complications with long-term consequences.Several studies have demonstrated how suboptimal fetal growth leads to long-lasting physiological alterations for the developing fetus as well as for the newborn and adult in the future.The long-term effects of fetal growth retardation may be adaptations to poor oxygen and nutrient supply that are effective in the fetal period but deleterious in the long term through structural or functional alterations.Epidemiologic studies showed that FGR could be a contributing factor for adult chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease,metabolic syndrome,diabetes,respiratory diseases and impaired lung function,and chronic kidney disease.In this review we discussed pathophysiologic mechanisms of FGR-related complications and potential preventive measures for FGR.
基金supported by Fujian Provincial Science and Technology Major Project(No.2020HZ02014)by the grants from National Natural Science Foundation of Fujian(2021J01133,2021J011404)by the Quanzhou Scientific and Technological Planning Projects(Nos.2018C113R,2019C028R,2019C029R,2019C076R and 2019C099R).
文摘Congenital heart defect,accounting for about 30%of congenital defects,is the most common one.Data shows that congenital heart defects have seriously affected the birth rate of healthy newborns.In Fetal andNeonatal Cardiology,medical imaging technology(2D ultrasonic,MRI)has been proved to be helpful to detect congenital defects of the fetal heart and assists sonographers in prenatal diagnosis.It is a highly complex task to recognize 2D fetal heart ultrasonic standard plane(FHUSP)manually.Compared withmanual identification,automatic identification through artificial intelligence can save a lot of time,ensure the efficiency of diagnosis,and improve the accuracy of diagnosis.In this study,a feature extraction method based on texture features(Local Binary Pattern LBP and Histogram of Oriented Gradient HOG)and combined with Bag of Words(BOW)model is carried out,and then feature fusion is performed.Finally,it adopts Support VectorMachine(SVM)to realize automatic recognition and classification of FHUSP.The data includes 788 standard plane data sets and 448 normal and abnormal plane data sets.Compared with some other methods and the single method model,the classification accuracy of our model has been obviously improved,with the highest accuracy reaching 87.35%.Similarly,we also verify the performance of the model in normal and abnormal planes,and the average accuracy in classifying abnormal and normal planes is 84.92%.The experimental results show that thismethod can effectively classify and predict different FHUSP and can provide certain assistance for sonographers to diagnose fetal congenital heart disease.
文摘Background: Amniotic fluid turbidity increases with fetal lung maturation due to vernix and lung surfactant micelles suspended in the amniotic fluid. This study focused on this phenomenon and evaluated the presence or absence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)/transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN) by quantitatively assessing the brightness of the amniotic fluid turbidity using a noninvasive ultrasound histogram measurement function. Methods: We included cases of singleton pregnancies managed at the Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital between November 2020 and March 2022. Histograms of amniotic fluid turbidity were measured at the center of the amniotic fluid depth, avoiding the fetus, placenta, and umbilical cord, with the gain setting set to 0, and the average value was obtained after three measurements. Histograms of fetal urine in the bladder were measured similarly. The value obtained by subtracting the fetal bladder brightness value from the amniotic brightness value based on histogram measurements was used as the final amniotic fluid brightness value. Results: We included 118 cases (16 of RDS/TTN and 102 of control). The gestational age of delivery weeks was correlated with amniotic fluid brightness (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was 0.344;p = 0.00014). Amniotic fluid brightness values were significantly lower in the RDS/TTN group than in the control group (RDS/TTN: 16.2 ± 13.5, control: 26.3 ± 16.3;p = 0.020). The optimal cutoff value of amniotic fluid brightness to predict RDS/TTN was 20.3. For predicting RDS/TTN, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 91.7%, 69.6%, 26.2%, and 94.1%, respectively. Conclusions: The quantitative value of the amniotic fluid brightness by histogram measurements may provide an easy and objective index for evaluating the presence or absence of RDS/TTN.
文摘Cardiotocography(CTG)represents the fetus’s health inside the womb during labor.However,assessment of its readings can be a highly subjective process depending on the expertise of the obstetrician.Digital signals from fetal monitors acquire parameters(i.e.,fetal heart rate,contractions,acceleration).Objective:This paper aims to classify the CTG readings containing imbalanced healthy,suspected,and pathological fetus readings.Method:We perform two sets of experiments.Firstly,we employ five classifiers:Random Forest(RF),Adaptive Boosting(AdaBoost),Categorical Boosting(CatBoost),Extreme Gradient Boosting(XGBoost),and Light Gradient Boosting Machine(LGBM)without over-sampling to classify CTG readings into three categories:healthy,suspected,and pathological.Secondly,we employ an ensemble of the above-described classifiers with the oversamplingmethod.We use a random over-sampling technique to balance CTG records to train the ensemble models.We use 3602 CTG readings to train the ensemble classifiers and 1201 records to evaluate them.The outcomes of these classifiers are then fed into the soft voting classifier to obtain the most accurate results.Results:Each classifier evaluates accuracy,Precision,Recall,F1-scores,and Area Under the Receiver Operating Curve(AUROC)values.Results reveal that the XGBoost,LGBM,and CatBoost classifiers yielded 99%accuracy.Conclusion:Using ensemble classifiers over a balanced CTG dataset improves the detection accuracy compared to the previous studies and our first experiment.A soft voting classifier then eliminates the weakness of one individual classifier to yield superior performance of the overall model.
文摘BACKGROUND Primiparas are usually at high risk of experiencing perinatal depression,which may cause prolonged labor,increased blood loss,and intensified pain,affecting maternal and fetal outcomes.Therefore,interventions are necessary to improve maternal and fetal outcomes and alleviate primiparas’negative emotions(NEs).AIM To discusses the impact of nursing responsibility in midwifery and postural and psychological interventions on maternal and fetal outcomes as well as primiparas’NEs.METHODS As participants,115 primiparas admitted to Quanzhou Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital between May 2020 and May 2022 were selected.Among them,56 primiparas(control group,Con)were subjected to conventional midwifery and routine nursing.The remaining 59(research group,Res)were subjected to the nursing model of midwifery and postural and psychological interventions.Both groups were comparatively analyzed from the perspectives of delivery mode(cesarean,natural,or forceps-assisted),maternal and fetal outcomes(uterine inertia,postpartum hemorrhage,placental abruption,neonatal pulmonary injury,and neonatal asphyxia),NEs(Hamilton Anxiety/Depressionrating Scale,HAMA/HAMD),labor duration,and nursing satisfaction.RESULTS The Res exhibited a markedly higher natural delivery rate and nursing satisfaction than the Con.Additionally,the Res indicated a lower incidence of adverse events(e.g.,uterine inertia,postpartum hemorrhage,placental abruption,neonatal lung injury,and neonatal asphyxia)and shortened duration of various stages of labor.It also showed statistically lower post-interventional HAMA and HAMD scores than the Con and pre-interventional values.CONCLUSION The nursing model of midwifery and postural and psychological interventions increase the natural delivery rate and reduce the duration of each labor stage.These are also conducive to improving maternal and fetal outcomes and mitigating primiparas’NEs and thus deserve popularity in clinical practice.
文摘Background: Retention of fetal bones is a rare cause of abnormal uterine bleeding. Others may present as subfertility, chronic pelvic pain, abnormal vaginal discharge, menometrorrhagia, dysmenorrhea and spontaneous expulsion of bony fragments. Incidence is 0.26% among patients undergoing hysteroscopy. Aim: To document a pattern of presentation of retained fetal bone and its management. Case Presentation: Our patient is an 18-year old who presented with vaginal bleeding of four weeks duration and managed for abnormal uterine bleeding due to retained fetal bone following second trimester abortion. Conclusion: The use of transvaginal ultrasound in making diagnosis of retained fetal bone is effective. Treatment by removal of bones through evacuation by dilatation and curettage or hysteroscopy brings about resolution of symptoms. Use of pelvic ultrasonography to confirm complete evacuation of the uterus after abortion especially second trimester abortion could aid in early diagnosis and management of incomplete abortion.
文摘Background: Studies on physical activity during pregnancy and its impact on mother and fetus are still limited. International protocols consider only aerobic exercise and fail to provide information about other modalities such as isometric exercise. Isometric exercise promotes cardiorespiratory resistance and muscle strengthening, but it is rarely tested on pregnant women because it increases maternal blood pressure and can subsequently affect placental circulation. Objectives: To assess the fetal response by use of Doppler study in diabetes pregnant women submitted to isometric exercise. Methods: A cross-sectional experimental study was conducted on 25 diabetes pregnant women with gestational age between 26 and 36 weeks. The patients were submitted to isometric handgrip, and data were collected from the mother (blood pressure, heart rate and Doppler velocimetry for the uterine arteries) and from the fetus (heart rate, Doppler velocimetry for the umbilical artery, middle cerebral artery and ductus venosus). All variables were collected before, during and after the isometric handgrip. Results: There was a significant reduction in the pulsatilityindex (average values pre 0.77 ± 0.30, trans 0.65 ± 0.22, and post 0.75 ± 0.22, with p = 0.001), resistance index (average values pre 0.49 ± 0.12, trans 0.44 ± 0.10, and post 0.48 ± 0.90, with p = </span.
文摘Background: HELLP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets) syndrome is a common complication of severe preeclampsia, with a high maternal and perinatal mortality rate. Data on HELLP syndrome is scanty in our setting. We sought to study the clinical presentation, management, and materno-fetal outcome of patients with HELLP syndrome at the Yaoundé Gyneco-Obstetrics and Pediatric Hospital (YGOPH). Methods: This was a cross-sectional, analytical study with a retrospective data collection of patients, diagnosed with HELLP syndrome at the YGOPH between 1st January 2020 and 31st July 2021. Data were analyzed using the software R version 4.0.2. Results are presented as mean ± standard deviation, frequencies and percentages. P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Of 254 cases of severe preeclampsia, 17 developed HELLP syndrome, giving us a frequency of 6.7%. One patient who presented with hepatitis B was excluded. The mean age was 27.19 ± 6.44 years. Most patients (56.3%) had poor follow up during antenatal contacts. The most common symptom was headache (93.8%). Most cases (56.3%) were diagnosed during post-partum, prepartum (25.0%), and per partum (18.8%). Obstetrical management was done by cesarean section (62.5%) and vaginal delivery (37.5%). Post-partum management of HELLP syndrome consisted of antihypertensive medication, anticonvulsants, sedatives, transfusion of blood and blood products, and fluid resuscitation. Of the 50% of patients who presented with acute kidney injury, only 12.5% (1) were referred for dialysis. Over 50% of our study participants presented severe complications after delivery, but 43.8% recovered, while 56.2% finally died. The fetal outcome was: still birth (31.2%), intra-uterine growth restriction/low birth weight (12.5%), term delivery (≥37 weeks) (31.3%), and preterm deliveries (<37 weeks) (68.7%). Three (18.8%) of the neonates delivered alive presented with a poor Apgar score at the 5th minute. Conclusion: Although rare, HELLP syndrome exists in our setting. Proper management in appropriate centers is key to improving maternal and fetal outcomes.
文摘Objectives: This paper aims to study the epidemiology and causes of fetal deaths in utero at Regional Hospital Amath Dansokho of Kedougou (RHADK). Methodology: This was a retrospective epidemiological study conducted at the Maternity Ward of the Regional Hospital Amath Dansokho of Kedougou from June 01, 2022 to June 30, 2023, including all patients seen for delivery care. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS 22, Windows version). The parameters studied were the frequency of in-utero fetal death, sociodemographic characteristics, pregnancy and delivery data, neonatal data and cause-of-death classification according to the Cause of Death and Associated Conditions (CODAC) classification. Results: We recorded 1628 deliveries, with 231 cases of in-utero fetal death, a frequency of 14.2%. Fetal death occurred most frequently in multiparous women (64.5%). The majority of patients (72.3%) were transferred. 51.9% of patients with fetal death had at least 3 antenatal visits. On admission, fetal heart rate was absent in 73.2% of patients. The etiology of in-utero fetal death was dominated by maternal factors (high blood pressure, anaemia and diabetes), which accounted for 36.9% of deaths, followed by placental pathologies (retroplacental haematoma) and intrapartum pathologies (uterine rupture, abnormal presentation). Conclusion: In-utero fetal death can be prevented, and is mainly due to direct obstetric complications. The focus should be on the prevention and management of hypertensive disorders and their complications during pregnancy, the fight against anaemia and, above all, the rapid and correct management of dystocia.
