CONTEXT Maternal serum human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) and Alpha Fetal Protein (AFP) were originally introduced to detect trisomy 21 and neural tube defects. However, in the absence of aneuploidy or neural tube defects, mid-trimester maternal serum hCG and/or maternal serum AFP associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancies with unexplained mid-trimester elevation in maternal serum ...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of erythromycin in preventing fetal and intrauterine group B streptococcal (GBS) infections. The study evaluated the penetration of erythromycin through the placenta, by comparing umbilical vein and maternal serum erythromycin concentrations. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study subjects were 42 pregnant women, with GBS-positive ...

background: preeclampsia is a disorder unique to pregnancy and has long been recognized as an important contributor of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. it is suggested that cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (tnf-α) have an important role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and may cause generalized endothelial dysfunction. objective: the aim of this study was comparison o...

OBJECTIVE It was the aim of this study to examine the possible effects of maternal and fetal characteristics on the fetal fraction in maternal plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) at 11-13 weeks' gestation. METHODS In a nested case-control study, cfDNA was extracted from maternal plasma obtained before chorionic villous sampling from 300 euploid, 50 trisomy 21 and 50 trisomy 18 pregnancies at 11-13 w...

3,3',5'-triiodothyronine, (rT(3)), is easily measured in human amniotic fluid (AF) during the second and third trimesters. To determine if AF rT(3) levels are maintained by either maternal or fetal thyroid function, or both, models of fetal hypothyroidism (FH), maternal hypothyroidism (MH), and combined maternal and fetal hypothyroidism (MFH) were developed in pregnant rats. Hormone analyses of...

BACKGROUND Emerging evidence indicates that maternal oxidative stress during pregnancy could impair fetal growth and that antioxidant vitamins (e.g. vitamins A, E and C) have a significant role in maintaining physiological processes of pregnancy and growth. AIMS To determine the concentrations of vitamins A, E, and C in pair-matched maternal and cord serum samples of neonate, and thus to inve...

BACKGROUND Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I is primarily produced by the liver under the stimulation of growth hormone, and has systemic growth effects. Placental growth hormone in maternal circulation increases from early pregnancy and is responsible for the increment in maternal serum IGF-I. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes in maternal serum IGF-I during pregnancy and t...

BACKGROUND Allergic reactions are responsible for much illness, irritation and disquiet in the life of the child. Recognition and management of allergy in childhood is of great importance to prevent major allergic syndromes. AIM To correlate cord serum IgE with parental history of allergy and maternal serum IgE. SETTINGS AND DESIGN In consultation with the attending gynecologist a survey of...

Passage of environmental chemicals across the placenta has important toxicological consequences, as well as for choosing samples for analysis and for interpreting the results. To obtain systematic data, we collected in 2000 maternal and cord blood, cord tissue, placenta, and milk in connection with births in the Faroe Islands, where exposures to marine contaminants is increased. In 15 sample se...