Pregnancies complicated by fetal haemoglobin (Hb) Bart’s disease are associated with poor perinatal outcomes, which include: early onset of hydrops fetalis, intrauterine or early neonatal death, and a higher risk of maternal pre-eclampsia.1 Even though there are case reports of survivors with or without intrauterine transfusion, postnatal regular transfusion is necessary until bone marrow trans...

Alpha-thalassemia is very common throughout all tropical and subtropical regions of the world. In Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean regions, compound heterozygotes and homozygotes may have anemia that is mild to severe (hemoglobin [Hb] H disease) or lethal (Hb Bart's hydrops fetalis). We have developed a reliable, single-tube multiplex-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the 6 most fre...

We describe a case of asymptomatic human parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy that led to hydrops fetalis and foetal death. The diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of parvovirus B19-specific IgM antibodies in the maternal serum and the pathognomonic findings, which showed intranuclear eosinophilic viral inclusions and margination of chromatin in foetal cells of haemopoietic lineage. De...

Plasma concentrations of atrial natriuretic factor were determined by radioimmunoassay in 16 human fetuses of between 19 and 38 weeks' gestation. Fifteen fetuses had varying degrees of anaemia as a result of Rh isoimmunisation, and one fetus was normal. Eight fetuses had ultrasonographic evidence of severe hydrops fetalis and an additional three fetuses had mild hydrops. Severely hydropic fetus...

It is well established that fetal pulmonary sequestration complicated by non-immune hydrops fetalis is associated with a high risk of mortality; however, antenatal management remains controversial in these rare cases. The main therapeutic strategies aim to drain the effusions in utero, although there is still debate as to the most adequate drainage route. The two main options are thoracoamnioti...