and dizziness. Obstetric consequences occurred in five patients (two patients moderate and three severe problems) (Table 1). Five developed vaginal bleeding. Abruption of the placenta occurred in three cases, uterine contraction in one case, decreased fetal movements was present in one case, absence of fetal heart beat in one case, and fetal death in one case. Snakebite is not common in pregnan...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether some offspring of women with diabetes are intrinsically more active than others in utero and whether those who are active are able to normalize their birth weight despite maternal hyperglycemia. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted a three-phase study to view the relationship between fetal movements and subsequent birth weight in women with diabetes. Phase I...

Traumatic abruption results in 6% of third-trimester gravidas who are hit or kicked in the abdomen during assaults. Three cases are presented in which blows inflicted to the abdomen of pregnant women in their third trimester resulted in the death of the fetus due to abruptio placentae. Two cases were domestic altercations while one was a third-party criminal assault. In all cases the gravida he...

Objective: To evaluate the effects of maternal corticosteroids administration on Non stress test and fetal biophysical activities in pregnancies with normal fetoplacental vascular resistance. Study Design: Prospective study. Patients and Methods: Included singleton pregnancies at risk of preterm labour between 28 weeks and 34 weeks gestation, preterm birth was anticipated on the basis of: Histo...

Severe cardiac disease in pregnancy may be complicated by reduced placental perfusion and subsequent fetal deprivation. In the present study we have evaluated one fetal parameter that may thus be affected, namely fetal activity. The study group included patients with rheumatic heart disease: 36 women with mild and 5 with severe disease. Each counted fetal movements 3 times a day and from this t...

Prenatal maternal distress is associated with an at-risk developmental profile, yet there is little fetal evidence of this putative in utero process. Moreover, the biological transmission for these maternal effects remains uncertain. In a study of n = 125 pregnant adolescents (ages 14-19), ambulatory assessments of daily negative mood (anger, frustration, irritation, stress), physical activity,...

Fetal behavioural patterns were examined to test whether they could be used to localise sites of brain damage antenatally. Decreased fetal movement, persistent nonreactive fetal heart rate (FHR) pattern, and/or central nervous system malformation were used as indicators of possible neurological impairment. Ten fetuses tested in this way underwent further ultrasound examination observing movemen...

Longitudinal quantification of leg movements per minute for human subjects during both fetal and neonatal periods was accomplished from videotapings conducted antenatally (ultrasonography 30, 34, and 37 weeks gestational age) and postnatally (birth and 6 weeks of age). Fetal/neonatal subjects displayed decreasing numbers of leg movements per minute during antenatal development (30 to 37 weeks),...

The hypothesis is put forward that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in early life serves as (1) an indicator for the degree of brain maturation and (2) the promoter of further brain development. This hypothesis, although not exclusive, differs (a) from the theory of Roffwarg et al. that REM sleep substitutes for 'wakefulness' during the period (early life) in which wakefulness is limited, (b) fro...