OBJECTIVE In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether the changes in the first and second trimester maternal serum biochemical markers used for prenatal screening are associated with euploid pregnancies complicated by intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). METHODS A total of 94 pregnant women were included in this retrospective comparative study. Thirty-seven women whose pregnancy was c...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the performance of a one-stop clinic for assessment of risk (OSCAR) for trisomy 21 by a combination of maternal age, fetal nuchal translucency (NT) thickness and maternal serum free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) at 11-14 weeks of gestation. METHOD Screening for trisomy 21 was carried out by OSCAR in 15 030 sing...

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 ...

Fetal serum markers, such as alpha fetoprotein (AFP), must traverse one of two very different pathways to reach maternal serum, either from fetus to amnion fluid, membranes and decidua or from fetal to maternal circulation through the placental villi. Alpha fetoprotein usually enters the amnion fluid through body wall defects uncovered by skin or through urine. Placental AFP leakage may be from...

Identifying pregnancies at increased risk for aneuploidy has been a part of the practice of maternal–fetal medicine for several decades. Originally, women were identified based on maternal age alone and given the option of diagnostic testing via chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis to determine the fetal karyotype. Recently, maternal serum screening tests, with or without ultrasound...

Maternal serum analyte screening is an integral component of contemporary antenatal care. Based on elevated MSAFP levels, 85% to 90% of NTDs (e.g., anencephaly or spina bifida) can be detected. Using a combination of serum analytes (e.g., MSAFP, hCG, UE3) 55% to 60% of fetal Down's syndrome can be detected. Future strategies for Down's syndrome screening may include the use of new markers such ...

gestational diabetes mellitus (gdm) is one of the important problems in pregnant women. this study conducted to determine association the level of serum glucose with fetal-maternal complications of gestational diabetes with insulin therapy. this study has been conducted as an existing data study, so medical records of all pregnant women with gdm that have been treated with insulin during 2 year...

OBJECTIVE To explore the ideas, opinions, feelings, and experiences of women regarding prenatal genetic screening, specifically maternal serum screening (MSS). DESIGN Qualitative technique of focus groups. SETTING Northern, rural, inner-city, urban, and suburban communities in Ontario. PARTICIPANTS Women who had given birth to babies from January 1994 to May 1996, but who were not current...

Second-trimester maternal serum screening (MSS) for Down syndrome has been widely used in routine prenatal care in developed countries. The screening combines maternal age-specific risk of Down syndrome with risk estimation obtained by measuring maternal serum markers to assign women an expected risk of having a term Down syndrome pregnancy. Diagnostic tests were offered to women whose risk exc...

OBJECTIVE To assess the potential value of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) at 11-13 weeks' gestation in early screening for fetal neural tube defects (NTDs). METHODS Maternal serum AFP at 11-13 weeks' gestation was measured in 32 cases of fetal NTDs, including 18 cases of acrania and 14 cases of spina bifida, and 1,500 unaffected controls. The measured serum AFP was converted into mult...