Leptin is a 16 kDa hormone which has been shown to have a major physiological role in the control of energy balance. Leptin is produced primarily in white adipose tissue, although there is evidence for its production in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and the placenta. BAT is critically important for the initiation of non-shivering thermogenesis in the newborn through the BAT-specific uncoupling pro...

Electroencephalography is the only clinically available technique that can address premature neonate normal and pathological functional development week after week. The changes in electroencephalogram (EEG) result from gradual structural modifications arise during last trimester of pregnancy. Here, we review over time underlie establishment immature neural networks, impact certain anatomical sp...

Bradykinin is a potent constrictor of the human umbilical artery and vein and the ductus arteriosus of the lamb in vitro at oxygen tensions above 40 mm Hg (comparable to those in the newborn infant). Bradykinin is also capable of producing remarkable dilatation of the pulmonary vasculature of the lamb. Theoretically, kinins are capable of effecting some of the rapid circulatory changes required...

OBJECTIVE Microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity (MIAC) has been detected in women with preterm labor, preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM), and in patients at term with PROM or in spontaneous labor. Intrauterine infection is recognized as a potential cause of fetal growth restriction; yet, the frequency of MIAC in pregnancies with small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses is unknown. ...

Observational studies suggest an adverse effect of maternal hypovitaminosis D during pregnancy. However, intervention studies failed to show convincing benefit from vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy. With analytical advances, vitamin D can now be measured in ten forms-including as epimers-which were thought to be biologically inactive, but can critically impair immunoassays. The aim of...

The high pre-weaning mortality in farm animal species and poor welfare conditions of reproductive females question modern industrial farming acceptability. A growing body of literature has been produced recently, investigating the impact of maternal stress during gestation on maternal and offspring physiology and behavior in farm animals. Until now, the possible impact of prenatal stress on neo...

Oxidative stress is associated with the development of various diseases including cancer, arteriosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and metabolic syndrome. However, little is known about the involvement of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) during the perinatal period. At present, few studies have investigated the precise correlations between 8-OHdG levels in cord blood (CB) and the physi...

Even though varicella is rare in pregnancy, the disease can lead occasionally to disastrous illnesses for both the mother and her neonate. By contrast, normal zoster is not associated with special problems during pregnancy and perinatal period. Pregnant women, who contract varicella, are at risk of varicella pneumonia which must be regarded as medical emergency. At any stage during pregnancy, c...

Introduction: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is one of the complications of pregnancy that has some maternal and neonatal outcomes. Some drugs such as insulin and oral agents (metformin, ...) are used for management of GDM. The aim of this study was to compare metformin and insulin in treatment of GDM Methods: This clinical trial was carried out in 2009-2011. Sample size was 201 patient...