BACKGROUND Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is widely used in cell culture laboratories, risk of zoonotic infections and allergic side effects create obstacles for its use in clinical trials. Therefore, an alternative supplement with proper inherent growth-promoting activities is demanded. OBJECTIVE To find FBS substitute, we tested human umbilical cord blood serum (hUCS) for proliferation of human u...

Umbilical cord blood has served as an alternative to bone marrow for hematopoietic transplantation since the late 1980s. Numerous clinical studies have proven the efficacy of umbilical cord blood. Moreover, the possible immaturity of cells in umbilical cord blood gives more options to recipients with HLA mismatch and allows for the use of umbilical cord blood from unrelated donors. However, mor...

BACKGROUND We examined the clinical significance of pregnancies complicated by velamentous cord insertion (VCI) associated with other umbilical cord/placental abnormalities. METHODS Data were collected from 168 deliveries complicated by VCI and from 16,797 unaffected controls. All placentae were screened identically by trained staff. In this study, we examined the presence of excessively long...

OBJECTIVE To determine the influence of presence of caffeine in umbilical cord blood on apnea occurrence. METHODS A prospective cohort study with preterm newborns with birth weight lower than 2,000 g was undertaken. Exclusion criteria were: mothers who received opioids; mechanical ventilation during the first 4 days of life; cerebral and major cardiac malformations; perinatal asphyxia; severe...

BACKGROUND To clarify whether the use of balloons for cervical ripening is associated with the incidence of umbilical cord prolapse. METHODS A postal questionnaire survey was distributed in Japan. Cases of umbilical cord prolapse occurring during labor in association with the use of balloons for cervical ripening between 2007 and 2011 in Japan were analyzed. RESULTS Answers from 942 institu...

Delayed umbilical cord clamping appears to be beneficial for term and preterm infants. In term infants, delayed umbilical cord clamping increases hemoglobin levels at birth and improves iron stores in the first several months of life, which may have a favorable effect on developmental outcomes. There is a small increase in jaundice that requires phototherapy in this group of infants. Consequent...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate umbilical cord interleukin (IL)-6 and funisitis as independent predictors of early-onset neonatal sepsis (EONS) in preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM). DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Evaluation of umbilical cord IL-6 and funisitis as predictors of early-onset neonatal sepsis in PPROM. POPULATION 176 women with PPROM between 23+0-36+6 weeks of gest...

In addition to its essential role in the development, nutrition and immunological tolerance of the product of conception, human placenta is an important source of stem cells. Over the past years, scientific research has been aimed at isolating and characterizing mesenchymal cells and amniocytes, which show a high plasticity and are found in the chorionic villi and the membranes. At the level of...

Suitable small animal models for the testing of antiviral agents with activity against human varicella-zoster virus (VZV) have so far been lacking. Mice and other animals have been found to not be susceptible to VZV infection. The model of choice for drug development has been the infection of monkeys using simian varicella virus (SVV). However, while primates offer potential as models of human ...

True cystic structures within the umbilical cord are rare, and when they persist into the second and third trimester, they are often associated with an abnormal karyotype or other developmental abnormalities. Clinically significant pseudocysts resulting from massive edema of the umbilical cord have been associated with a congenitally patent urachus. We present a case of intrauterine fetal demis...