background: given the importance of birth weight and the effects of anthropometric indices and socioeconomic status on it, this study was conducted to assess birth weight and its related factors among infants born in the hospitals of ahwaz jondishapour university. methods: this cross-sectional study was carried out on 269 newly born babies and their mothers in hospitals of ahwaz jondishapour un...

Food intake of rats increases during pregnancy. This requires changes in the structure of the small intestine to absorb additional food. The aim of the present study was to investigate the morphological changes in the layers of small intestine in rats during pregnancy. Duodenum, jejunum and ileum of 18 pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (day 7, 14 and 21 of pregnancy) were collected. Villous height a...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Diabetes is well-known to influence endothelial function. Endothelial function and blood flow regulation might be different in diabetic and non-diabetic pregnancy. However, the impact of umbilical blood flow regulation in gestational diabetes on fetal development is unknown so far. METHODS In a prospective birth cohort study, we analyzed the association of the umbilical artery...

BACKGROUND Abnormal uterine artery Doppler indices are associated with pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. Poor trophoblast invasion may be a consequence of, or be associated with, abnormal Doppler indices. OBJECTIVE To evaluate in vitro trophoblast function following exposure to first-trimester serum from pregnancies with high uterine artery Dop...

OBJECTIVE To compare uterine artery Doppler velocity and impedance indices in the presence and absence of uterine artery waveform notches, in the prediction of adverse pregnancy outcome in high-risk women. METHODS One hundred and fifty-seven women identified at Doppler screening as being at 'high risk' underwent a further uterine artery Doppler assessment at 24 weeks' gestation. Pulsatility a...

Although 25-30 grams of calcium is transported into the fetus during pregnancy, it is suggested that the maternal bone might be kept at the same density as in non-pregnant women by measuring serum or urinary calcium concentrations and calcium regulating hormones simultaneously (Ohara et al. Folia Endocrinol., 1986). In this study, the influence of pregnancy on the maternal bone was investigated...