Histologic analysis suggests that epidermal development is complete in utero at approximately 34 wk gestational age. Infants born more prematurely have elevated rates of both transepidermal water loss and transcutaneous heat loss, and have difficulty maintaining homeostasis. The underdeveloped integument is also a portal of entry for infection and the percutaneous uptake of toxins. Previous mea...

The effects of exposure in utero to 1 MHz, continuous-wave ultrasound on adult growth and testicular development in the mouse was investigated. The spatial peak temporal average intensity (ISPTA) employed ranged from 1 to 10 W/cm2, with exposure durations (t) of 200 s to 20 s. Exposures were made on days 9, 12 or 15 of gestation. Results showed an increase in postpartum deaths, an increase in t...

INTRODUCTION The tremendous success of antiretroviral therapy has resulted in a diminishing population of perinatally HIV-infected children on the one hand and a mounting number of HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) children on the other. As the oldest of these HEU children are reaching adolescence, questions have emerged surrounding the implications of HEU status disclosure to these adolescents. Thi...

The circadian system regulates many aspects of physiological functions in human body and requires a delicate interplay between suprachiasmatic nucleus, pineal gland, melatonin and clock genes. Maturation and synchronization of the fetal circadian system is mostly governed by maternal master clock and needs a complete and uncomplicated intrauterine life. Premature birth is being born not only wi...

BACKGROUND Exposure of the fetal or neonatal non-human primate (NHP) brain to isoflurane or ketamine for 5 h causes widespread apoptotic degeneration of neurones, and exposure to isoflurane also causes apoptotic degeneration of oligodendrocytes (OLs). The present study explored the apoptogenic potential of propofol in the fetal and neonatal NHP brain. METHOD Fetal rhesus macaques at gestation...

At early stages of development, the faces of vertebrate embryos look remarkably similar, yet within a very short timeframe they adopt species-specific facial characteristics. What are the mechanisms underlying this regional specification of the vertebrate face? Using transgenic Wnt reporter embryos we found a highly conserved pattern of Wnt responsiveness in the developing mouse face that later...

The presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the fetal environment raises concerns for their possible interferences with the developmental process, resulting into morphological and/or functional impairments of the organism. Human biomonitoring has been widely recognized as the action to be undertaken to characterize children's exposure to environmental pollutants in the different lif...

Vasa previa, defined as fetal vessels coursing within the membranes between the presenting part and the cervix, occurs in approximately 1:2500-5000 pregnancies. Type II vasa previa consists of fetal vessels crossing over the internal os connecting a bilobed placenta or a succenturiate lobe with the main placental mass. These vessels are prone to compression during labor or may tear when membran...

Ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) of a fetus with severe bilateral hydrothorax is described. EXIT allows therapeutic interventions on the neonate while maintaining fetoplacental circulation. Thus it may be useful for fetuses presenting with severe pleural effusion towards the end of gestation and in whom in utero drainage is technically not possible or available and drainage post partum wou...