The potential biological effects of in utero radiation exposure of a developing fetus include prenatal death, intrauterine growth restriction, small head size, mental retardation, organ malformation, and childhood cancer. The risk of each effect depends on the gestational age at the time of exposure, fetal cellular repair mechanisms, and the absorbed radiation dose level. A comparison between t...

Plasma DNA obtained from a pregnant woman was sequenced to a depth of 270× haploid genome coverage. Comparing the maternal plasma DNA sequencing data with the parental genomic DNA data and using a series of bioinformatics filters, fetal de novo mutations were detected at a sensitivity of 85% and a positive predictive value of 74%. These results represent a 169-fold improvement in the positive p...

In late gestation, challenges to fetal homeostasis are accompanied by increases in adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) concentrations in fetal peripheral plasma and Fos (c-fos protein) activation in corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons of the fetal hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). In adults, ventrolateral brainstem catecholaminergic (CA) neurons (A1/C1, A2/C2) project to the parvocel...

OBJECTIVE During fetal life, the parallel position of the two cardiac ventricles confers a special status to the aortic isthmus. Flow through the isthmus reflects the balance between the performances of the two ventricles and their respective peripheral impedances. This study proposes a fetal aortic isthmus flow velocity index and its reference values defined on the basis of gestational age (GA...

A 31-year-old woman was referred for fetal cardiac assessment at 30 weeks of gestation because of fetal arrhythmia and inadequate visualization of the 4-chamber heart at another hospital. Routine scanning demonstrated normal growth, no anomalies, and a normal 4-chamber view; however, the great vessels were inadequately evaluated. Detailed fetal echocardiography was then performed with sequentia...

Detailed fetal intracranial anatomy can be examined in utero using real-time sonography. The ability to demonstrate motion makes it possible to visualize important vascular landmarks which are helpful in identifying adjacent structures and in recognizing appropriate planes of section. The lateral ventricular system can be demonstrated and the lateral ventricular ratio can be determined in case...

Hydroxylation of 5 beta-[7 beta-3H]cholestane-3 alpha, 7 alpha-diol was studied in mitochondrial preparations from human fetal livers. The livers were obtained at legal abortions between weeks 14 and 24. In addition to hydroxylation in the 26-position, 5 beta-cholestane-3 alpha, 7 alpha-diol was hydroxylated in the 12 alpha-position. In one experiment, mitochondrial protein was solubilized and ...

background: the discovery of circulating fetal dna in maternal blood led to the discovery of new strategies to perform noninvasive testing for prenatal diagnosis. objective: the purpose of the study was to detect fetal aneuploidy at chromosomes 13, 18, 21, x, and y by analysis of fetal cell-free dna from maternal blood, without endangering pregnancy. materials and methods: this retrospective st...

a full termed local ewe with the history of continuous straining with labored breathing for last 24 hours was presented. the animal was disinclined to move with tense and round abdomen which developed rapidly during last two weeks. caesarean section revealed hydrallantois accompanied by multiple fetal congenital abnormalities. the ewe was under observation for four weeks. metritis developed 12 ...

OBJECTIVE Although fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is being increasingly used to evaluate sonographically suspected abnormalities, its utility in the evaluation of the spinal canal is not well studied. Because it is not susceptible to the limitations of fetal position, oligohydramnios, and shadowing from bony structures, we hypothesize that fetal MRI is better suited to assess the conten...