One of the basic rituals of Islam is fasting during Ramadan. In this month, all able-bodied Muslims abstain from food, fluids, smoking, and oral medications from sunrise to sunset. According to the Quran, if fasting poses major health risks to individuals, fasting during this holy month is not allowed. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of fasting on maternal and fetal health. Therefore, ...

Disruption of normal fetal development can influence functioning of organs and cells in adulthood. Circumstantial evidence suggests that subtle reductions in fetal androgen production may be the cause of adult male reproductive disorders due to reduced testosterone production. The mechanisms through which these fetal events affect adult testosterone levels are largely unknown. A recent paper of...

Over the last decade we have been witness to a burgeoning literature on three-dimensional (3D) and four-dimensional (4D) ultrasound-based studies of the fetal cardiovascular system. Recent advances in the technology of 3D/4D ultrasound systems allow almost real-time 3D/4D fetal heart scans. It appears that 3D/4D ultrasound in fetal echocardiography may make a significant contribution to interdi...

Objetives The aim of this study was to compare fetal biometry of singleton fetuses in pregnant women with normal nutritional and health status in the Ampara district, with a commonly used reference chart. Methods A cross sectional study was carried out in the Ampara District. Women with normal nutritional and health status and minimal environmental constraints on fetal growth (n=714) were enr...

Objective This report presents recent trends relating to perinatal mortality in Southern Nevada for available data years from 2000 through 2012. Data and methods Data from the live birth/fetal death (preliminary from 2011 onwards) and death (preliminary from 2012 onwards) registries were used to develop rate estimates. The Perinatal Periods of Risk approach was adopted to provide an actionorien...

OBJECTIVE To validate a new symphysis-fundal curve for screening fetal growth deviations and to compare its performance with the standard curve adopted by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. METHODS Observational study including a total of 753 low-risk pregnant women with gestational age above 27 weeks between March to October 2006 in the city of João Pessoa, Northeastern Brazil. Symphisys-fund...

The rapid pace of fetal development by far exceeds any other stage of the life span, and thus, environmental influences can profoundly alter the developmental course. Stress during the prenatal period, including malnutrition and inflammation, impact maternal and fetal neurodevelopment with long-term consequences for physical and mental health of both the mother and her child. One primary conseq...

The discovery of cell-free fetal nucleic acids in the plasma of pregnant women has allowed the development of new, noninvasive prenatal diagnostic tests for the determination of fetal gender and Rh. These tests have been implemented in the public health system in several countries of Europe for over five years. The new possibilities for diagnostic use of these technologies are the detection of ...

Fetal heart rate monitoring yields vital information about the fetus health and can support medical decision making in critical situations. The Fetal Electro Cardio Gram (FECG) signal reflects the electrical activity of the fetal heart. It contains information about the health status of the fetus, so that an early diagnosis of any cardiac defects before delivery increases the effectiveness of t...

OBJECTIVE to evaluate the participation of adolescents in the Family Health Strategy, from the theoretical-methodological structure of an enabler to participation. METHOD a quantitative study, conducted from December of 2010 to March of 2011, with 213 professionals in the FHS in the region of Cariri-Ceará-Brazil. Data were collected through a questionnaire and organized in SPSS 18.0. RESULT...