Birth-weight differences at term are explained by placental dysfunction and not by maternal ethnicity. Study in newborns of first generation immigrants.
The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of ethnicity and cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) on the birth weight (BW) of first generation Indo-Pakistan immigrants' newborns.This was a retrospective study in a mixed population of 620 term Caucasian and Indo-Pakistan pregnancies, evaluated in two reference hospitals of Spain and Italy. All fetuses underwent a scan and Doppler examination within two weeks of delivery. The influence of fetal gender, ethnicity, GA at delivery, CPR, maternal age, height, weight and parity on BW was evaluated by multivariable regression analysis.Newborns of first generation Indo-Pakistan immigrants were smaller than local Caucasian newborns (mean BW mean= 3…
Is it possible to predict late antepartum stillbirth by means of cerebroplacental ratio and maternal characteristics?
Objective: To examine the potential value of fetal ultrasound and maternal characteristics in the prediction of antepartum stillbirth after 32 weeks’ gestation. Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter study in Spain. In 29 pregnancies, umbilical artery pulsatility index (UA PI), middle cerebral artery pulsatility index (MCA PI), cerebroplacental ratio (CPR), estimated fetal weight (EFW), and maternal characteristics were recorded within 15 days prior to a stillbirth. The values of UA PI, MCA PI, and CPR were converted into multiples of the normal median (MoM) for gestational age and the EFW was expressed as percentile according to a Spanish reference range for gestational age. Data fr…
MicroRNA-148b-3p and MicroRNA-25-3p Are Overexpressed in Fetuses with Late-Onset Fetal Growth Restriction
<b><i>Objective:</i></b> It was the aim of this study to describe a microRNA (miRNA) profile characteristic of late-onset fetal growth restriction (FGR) and to investigate the pathways involved in their biochemical action. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In this prospective study, 25 fetuses (16 normal and 9 with FGR [estimated fetal weight &#x3c;10th centile plus cerebroplacental ratio &#x3c;0.6765 multiples of the median]) were evaluated with Doppler ultrasound after 36 weeks. Afterwards, for every fetus, plasma from umbilical vein blood was collected at birth, miRNA was extracted, and full miRNA sequencing was performed. Subsequently, compa…
Delayed vs Immediate Cord Clamping Changes Oxygen Saturation and Heart Rate Patterns in the First Minutes after Birth
Objective To build arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate (HR) percentiles for the first 10 minutes after birth in term infants born after an uneventful gestation, vaginal delivery, and delayed cord clamping (DCC) for ≥60 seconds, and to compare our results with previous ones constructed after immediate cord clamping. Study design Preductal SpO2, HR, and timing of DCC immediately after complete fetal body expulsion were recorded. The pulse-oximeter was adjusted in the right wrist/hand and set at maximal intensity and measurements performed every 2 seconds. Results A total of 282 term newborn infants were included. The definitive data set comprised of 70 257 SpO2 and 79 746 HR meas…
Intratumoral immunosuppression profiles in 11q-deleted neuroblastomas provide new potential therapeutic targets
In this issue, Coronado et al. attempt to improve our understanding of the factors affecting the response to immunotherapy in a large subset of high‐risk neuroblastoma with hemizygous deletion of chromosome 11q. By using several computational approaches, the authors study potential transcriptional and post‐transcriptional pathways that may affect the response to immunotherapy and further be leveraged therapeutically in a biomarker‐directed fashion.
Does Uterine Doppler Add Information to the Cerebroplacental Ratio for the Prediction of Adverse Perinatal Outcome at the End of Pregnancy?
<b><i>Objective:</i></b> To evaluate whether the addition of the mean uterine arteries pulsatility index (mUtA PI) to the cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) improves its ability to predict adverse perinatal outcome (APO) at the end of pregnancy. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This was a prospective study of 891 fetuses that underwent an ultrasound examination at 34–41 weeks. The CPR and the mUtA PI were converted into multiples of the median (MoM) and the estimated fetal weight (EFW) into centiles according to local references. APO was defined as a composite of abnormal cardiotocogram, intrapartum pH requiring cesarean section, 5′ Apgar score &#x3c;7, n…
Unexpected middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity values in the normal fetal population. Are they a matter of concern?
AbstractObjective: The aim of this study was to investigate in the fetus the relationship between unexpected high middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity (middle cerebral artery (MCA) peak sy...