BACKGROUND Although both fetal and long-term growth restriction are well documented in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, effects on pattern of growth trajectory have not been characterized. Furthermore, the degree to which growth trajectories are related to fetal alcohol-related neurocognitive deficits is unknown. METHODS Ninety-three heavy drinking pregnant women and 64 controls were recruit...

Circulating growth hormone (GH) concentrations increase in pregnancy and administration of GH during early-mid pregnancy increases fetal growth in well-fed pigs. To determine whether increased maternal GH could promote fetal growth when feed availability is restricted, fifteen cross-bred primiparous sows (gilts) were fed at approximately 30% of ad libitum intake, from mating onwards and were in...

Undernutrition during fetal and postnatal life is still a major problem in many low- and middle-income countries. Even in high-income countries malnutrition may exist in cases of intrauterine growth retardation, as well as in chronic conditions such as anorexia nervosa and inflammatory bowel disease. Children adopted from developing countries are often chronically malnourished. Nutritional reha...

Magnetocardiography (MCG) is a technique that enables the noncontact, noninvasive measurement of electrocardiographic phenomena, and fetal magnetocardiography (FMCG) is extremely useful for the analysis of fetal electrocardiographic phenomena. We have used FMCG for the diagnosis and treatment of a range of fetal arrhythmias, and to perform comparative studies of autonomic nervous system activit...

INTRODUCTION Placental function is an important determinant of fetal growth, and fetal growth influences obesity risk in childhood and adult life. Here we investigated how FTO and MC4R gene variants linked with obesity relate to patterns of fetal growth and to placental FTO expression. METHODS Southampton Women's Survey children (n = 1990) with measurements of fetal growth from 11 to 34 weeks...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the clinical severity and proportionality of small for gestational age, very low birth weight neonates (< 1,500 g) and to estimate the neonatal mortality risk associated with the condition of being small for gestational age according to the degree of severity and proportionality. METHODS Observational design. All of the NEOCOSUR Collaborative Group's very low birth weig...