Backround: The term “hydrops fetalis” refers to excessive accumulation of pathologic serous fluid within the fetal soft tissues and body cavities. There are two categories, immune nonimmune hydrops (NIHF). Currently 90 percent cases nonimmune, because decrease incidence with advent anti-D globulin. Case presentation: We present a case Parvovirus B19 (PB19) infection that resulted in NIHF. Fetus...

BACKGROUND Previous publications indicate that acupuncture is efficient for the treatment of pelvic girdle pain, PGP, in pregnant women. However, the use of acupuncture for PGP is rare due to insufficient documentation of adverse effects of this treatment in this specific condition. The aim of the present work was to assess adverse effects of acupuncture on the pregnancy, mother, delivery and t...

Crouzon Syndrome is an autosomal dominant syndromic craniosynostosis characterized by premature closure of cranial sutures, exophthalmos, and midface hypoplasia. It is caused by multiple mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2). We describe prenatal genetic testing of FGFR2 in a fetus of a mother whose previous child had Crouzon Syndrome due to an apparently de novo mutation...

Pompe disease is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by alpha-glucosidase deficiency. The disease is characterized by accumulation of glycogen in the lysosomes. The accumulation has unique ultrastructural features which enable a prenatal diagnosis by electron microscopy. We describe prenatal electron microscopic testing in a fetus of a mother whose previous child died of Pompe disease. The dise...

Aspects of pulmonary surfactant are reviewed from a biochemical perspective. The major emphasis is on the lipid components of surfactant. Topics reviewed include surfactant composition, cellular and subcellular sites as well as pathways of biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine, disaturated phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol. The surfactant system in the developing fetus and neonate is c...

This article reviews the interpretation of the fetal motor repertoire in the light of neurophysiology and clinical neurology. The continuity of the maturative process from the fetus to the neonate allows us to speculate on the predictive value of optimal and non-optimal neurological function as observed in the fetus and their morphological consequences. Neonatologists know that early prediction...

Knowledge of fetal nutrient supply has greatly increased in the last decade due to the availability of fetal blood samples obtained under relatively steady-state conditions. These studies, together with studies utilizing stable isotope methodologies, have clarified some aspects of the supply of the major nutrients for the fetus such as glucose, amino acids and fatty acids. At the same time, the...