Objective: An evolving challenge for obstetrician is to better define normal and abnormal fetal neurological function in utero in order to better predict antenatally which fetuses are at risk for adverse neurological outcome. Patients and methods: Prenatal neurological assessment in high-risk fetuses using four-dimensional ultrasound applying the recently developed Kurjak antenatal neurodevelopmental test (KANET). Postnatal neurological assessment was performed using Amiel Tison's neurological assessment at term (ATNAT) for all live-borns and general movement (GM) assessment for those with borderline and abnormal ATNAT. Results: Inclusion criteria were met by 288 pregnant women in four centers of whom 266 gave birth to a live-born baby. It was revealed that 234 fetuses were neurologically normal, 7 abnormal and 25 borderline. Out of 7 abnormal fetuses ATNAT was borderline in 5 and abnormal in 2, whereas GM assessment was abnormal in 5 and definitely abnormal in 2. Out of 25 KANET borderline fetuses, ATNAT was normal in 7, borderline in 17 and abnormal in 1, whereas the GM
The full range of quantitative fetal facial expressions and fetal movement patterns can be assessed successfully by 4D sonography. It is important to be able to assess normal fetal behavior throughout gestation to identify abnormal behavior before birth.
Data were collected from 1275 pregnant Turkish women screened prospectively for chromosomal anomalies to determine whether first-trimester levels of maternal serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) and the thickness of nuchal translucency are affected by smoking and other covariables. Only normal singleton pregnancies were included. After weight correction, comparisons were made between smokers and nonsmokers. Mean values of PAPP-A and beta-hCG were reduced in women who smoked 5 or more cigarettes a day compared with nonsmokers. The median beta-hCG level decreased significantly as gravidity and parity increased; no effect was noted on PAPP-A. Median PAPP-A and beta-hCG levels tended to increase, but not significantly in women who had had 2 or more miscarriages. Smoking alters maternal levels of serum analytes, with the magnitude of the impact related to the number of cigarettes smoked per day. This effect can be detected in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Cervical volume and vascularization parameters are not helpful in predicting preterm labor and gestational diabetes, but might be associated with pre-eclampsia.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.