Unexplained fetal tachycardia:A case report

BACKGROUND This study aimed to explore the possible etiology and treatment of severe fetal tachycardia in the absence of organic disease and provide a reference for clinical management of severe fetal tachycardia.CASE SUMMARY A 29-year-old pregnant woman,with a gravidity 1 parity 0,presented with a fetal heart rate(FHR)of 243 beats per minute during a routine antenatal examination at 31+2 wk of gestation.Before termination of pregnancy at 38 wk of gestation,the FHR repeatedly showed serious abnormalities,lasting more than 30 min.However,the pregnant woman and the fetus had no clinical symptoms,and repeated examination revealed no organic lesions.The mother and the baby were regularly followed up.CONCLUSION This was a case of severe fetal tachycardia with no organic lesions and management based on clinical experience.

Perinatal Morbidity, Mortality, and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Neonates with Fetal Growth Restriction

Objective: This study aimed to assess perinatal morbidity, mortality rates, and neurodevelopmental outcomes in the management of fetal growth restriction (FGR) at a single tertiary institute. Methods: Among 2465 deliveries between 2013 and 2019, 109 cases of FGR were reviewed retrospectively for causes, indications for pregnancy termination, perinatal death, overall neonatal outcomes, and long-term prognosis. Results: Excluding FGR due to congenital anomalies (n = 17), the mortality rate was 3.3% (3/92). One neonate delivered at 23 weeks developed cerebral palsy (1.1%). Retinopathy of prematurity occurred in four neonates (4.3%). Neurodevelopmental disorders were present in six neonates (6.5%), all of whom were delivered at 32 - 38 weeks. Significantly lower gestational age at delivery, lower birth weight, and higher umbilical artery resistance indices were observed in neonates with neurodevelopmental disorders. Conclusions: Intact survival before 27 weeks of gestation at delivery with FGR is uncommon. Neurodevelopmental disorders may still develop after delivery at 32 - 38 weeks;consideration should be given to the timing of delivery usingfetal ductus venosus Doppler waveforms measurements to reduce neurodevelopmental disorders.

Fetal Head Compression: Its Possible Role in Neurologic Injury

It is widely assumed that fetal ischemic brain injury during labor derives almost exclusively from severe, systemic hypoxemia with marked neonatal depression and acidemia. Severe asphyxia, however, is one of several causes of perinatal neurological injury and may not be the most common;most neonates diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy do not have evidence of severe asphyxia. Sepsis, direct brain trauma, and drug or toxin exposure account for some cases, while mechanical forces of labor and delivery that increase fetal intracranial pressure sufficiently to impair brain perfusion may also contribute. Because of bony compliance and mobile suture lines, the fetal skull changes shape and redistributes cerebrospinal fluid during labor according to constraints imposed by contractions, and bony and soft tissue elements of the birth canal as the head descends. These accommodations, including the increase in intracranial pressure, are adaptive and necessary for efficient descent of the head while safeguarding cerebral blood flow. Autonomic reflexes mediated through central receptors normally provide ample protection of the brain from the considerable pressure exerted on the skull. On occasion, those forces, which are transmitted intracranially, may overcome the various adaptive anatomical, cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological mechanisms that maintain cerebral perfusion and oxygen availability, resulting in ischemic brain injury. Accepting the notion of a potentially adverse impact of fetal head compression suggests that avoidance of excessive uterine activity and of relentless pushing without steady progress in descent may offer protection for the fetal brain during parturition. Excessive head compression should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ischemic encephalopathy.

Federated Machine Learning Based Fetal Health Prediction Empowered with Bio-Signal Cardiotocography

Cardiotocography measures the fetal heart rate in the fetus during pregnancy to ensure physical health because cardiotocography gives data about fetal heart rate and uterine shrinkages which is very beneficial to detect whether the fetus is normal or suspect or pathologic.Various cardiotocography measures infer wrongly and give wrong predictions because of human error.The traditional way of reading the cardiotocography measures is the time taken and belongs to numerous human errors as well.Fetal condition is very important to measure at numerous stages and give proper medications to the fetus for its well-being.In the current period Machine learning(ML)is a well-known classification strategy used in the biomedical field on various issues because ML is very fast and gives appropriate results that are better than traditional results.ML techniques play a pivotal role in detecting fetal disease in its early stages.This research article uses Federated machine learning(FML)and ML techniques to classify the condition of the fetus.This study proposed a model for the detection of bio-signal cardiotocography that uses FML and ML techniques to train and test the data.So,the proposed model of FML used numerous data preprocessing techniques to overcome data deficiency and achieves 99.06%and 0.94%of prediction accuracy and misprediction rate,respectively,and parallel the proposed model applying K-nearest neighbor(KNN)and achieves 82.93%and 17.07%of prediction accuracy and misprediction accuracy,respectively.So,by comparing both models FML outperformed the KNN technique and achieved the best and most appropriate prediction results as compared with previous studies the proposed study achieves the best and most accurate results.

Mechanisms underlying the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in the placental injury and fetal growth restriction in an ovine gestation model

Background Exposure to bisphenol A(BPA),an environmental pollutant known for its endocrine-disrupting properties,during gestation has been reported to increase the risk of fetal growth restriction(FGR)in an ovine model of pregnancy.We hypothesized that the FGR results from the BPA-induced insufficiency and barrier dysfunction of the placenta,oxidative stress,inflammatory responses,autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS).However,precise mechanisms underlying the BPA-induced placental dysfunction,and subsequently,FGR,as well as the potential involvement of placental ERS in these complications,remain to be investigated.Methods In vivo experiment,16 twin-pregnant(from d 40 to 130 of gestation)Hu ewes were randomly distributed into two groups(8 ewes each).One group served as a control and received corn oil once a day,whereas the other group received BPA(5 mg/kg/d as a subcutaneous injection).In vitro study,ovine trophoblast cells(OTCs)were exposed to 4 treatments,6 replicates each.The OTCs were treated with 400μmol/L BPA,400μmol/L BPA+0.5μg/m L tunicamycin(Tm;ERS activator),400μmol/L BPA+1μmol/L 4-phenyl butyric acid(4-PBA;ERS antagonist)and DMEM/F12 complete medium(control),for 24 h.Results In vivo experiments,pregnant Hu ewes receiving the BPA from 40 to 130 days of pregnancy experienced a decrease in placental efficiency,progesterone(P4)level and fetal weight,and an increase in placental estrogen(E2)level,together with barrier dysfunctions,OS,inflammatory responses,autophagy and ERS in type A cotyledons.In vitro experiment,the OTCs exposed to BPA for 24 h showed an increase in the E2 level and related protein and gene expressions of autophagy,ERS,pro-apoptosis and inflammatory response,and a decrease in the P4 level and the related protein and gene expressions of antioxidant,anti-apoptosis and barrier function.Moreover,treating the OTCs with Tm aggravated BPA-induced dysfunction of barrier and endocrine(the increased E2 level and decreased P4 level),OS,inflammatory responses,autophagy,and ERS.However,treating the OTCs with 4-PBA reversed the counteracted effects of Tm mentioned above.Conclusions In general,the results reveal that BPA exposure can cause ERS in the ovine placenta and OTCs,and ERS induction might aggravate BPA-induced dysfunction of the placental barrier and endocrine,OS,inflammatory responses,and autophagy.These data offer novel mechanistic insights into whether ERS is involved in BPA-mediated placental dysfunction and fetal development.

Dynamic Multi-Layer Perceptron for Fetal Health Classification Using Cardiotocography Data

Fetal health care is vital in ensuring the health of pregnant women and the fetus.Regular check-ups need to be taken by the mother to determine the status of the fetus’growth and identify any potential problems.To know the status of the fetus,doctors monitor blood reports,Ultrasounds,cardiotocography(CTG)data,etc.Still,in this research,we have considered CTG data,which provides information on heart rate and uterine contractions during pregnancy.Several researchers have proposed various methods for classifying the status of fetus growth.Manual processing of CTG data is time-consuming and unreliable.So,automated tools should be used to classify fetal health.This study proposes a novel neural network-based architecture,the Dynamic Multi-Layer Perceptron model,evaluated from a single layer to several layers to classify fetal health.Various strategies were applied,including pre-processing data using techniques like Balancing,Scaling,Normalization hyperparameter tuning,batch normalization,early stopping,etc.,to enhance the model’s performance.A comparative analysis of the proposed method is done against the traditional machine learning models to showcase its accuracy(97%).An ablation study without any pre-processing techniques is also illustrated.This study easily provides valuable interpretations for healthcare professionals in the decision-making process.

Z-Score in Fetal Echocardiography–Is there Still Room for New Studies?

Congenital heart disease(CHD)is the most common type of birth defect,representing a significant cause of peri-natal morbidity and mortality.Early diagnosis of such anomalies is crucial for improving outcomes.Current pro-tocols recommend a qualitative assessment of cardiac structures using two-dimensional ultrasound(2DUS)and color Doppler imaging.In cases of suspected abnormalities,quantitative assessments through cardiac structure measurements and reference curves can aid in accurate diagnosis.Similar to centiles widely employed in obste-trics,Z-scores provide more precise quantification of various cardiac structures,particularly at the extremes of the curve.While the development of reference curves and Z-scores has progressed over the past two decades,a lack of standardization in measurements and statistical methodology for their determination is evident.Establishing reference curves requires adherence to specific recommendations to improve their accuracy.The purpose of this study is to provide a narrative review of the major studies that have generated reference values for cardiac struc-tures using 2DUS and Z-scores,to evaluate their methodology,and to provide a summary of the results.

Associations of serum D-dimer and glycosylated hemoglobin levels with third-trimester fetal growth restriction in gestational diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM)is a special type of diabetes that commonly occurs in women during pregnancy and involves impaired glucose tolerance and abnormal glucose metabolism;GDM is diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy and can affect fetal growth and development.AIM To investigate the associations of serum D-dimer(D-D)and glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c)levels with third-trimester fetal growth restriction(FGR)in GDM patients.METHODS The clinical data of 164 pregnant women who were diagnosed with GDM and delivered at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University from January 2021 to January 2023 were analyzed retrospectively.Among these women,63 whose fetuses had FGR were included in the FGR group,and 101 women whose fetuses had normal body weights were included in the normal body weight group(normal group).Fasting venous blood samples were collected from the elbow at 28-30 wk gestation and 1-3 d before delivery to measure serum D-D and HbA1c levels for comparative analysis.The diagnostic value of serum D-D and HbA1c levels for FGR was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic analysis,and the influencing factors of third-trimester FGR in GDM patients were analyzed by logistic regression.RESULTS Serum fasting blood glucose,fasting insulin,D-D and HbA1c levels were significantly greater in the FGR group than in the normal group,while the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance values were lower(P<0.05).Regarding the diagnosis of FGR based on serum D-D and HbA1c levels,the areas under the curves(AUCs)were 0.826 and 0.848,the cutoff values were 3.04 mg/L and 5.80%,the sensitivities were 81.0%and 79.4%,and the specificities were 88.1%and 87.1%,respectively.The AUC of serum D-D plus HbA1c levels for diagnosing FGR was 0.928,and the sensitivity and specificity were 84.1%and 91.1%,respectively.High D-D and HbA1c levels were risk factors for third-trimester FGR in GDM patients(P<0.05).CONCLUSION D-D and HbA1c levels can indicate the occurrence of FGR in GDM patients in the third trimester of pregnancy to some extent,and their combination can be used as an important index for the early prediction of FGR.

Relationship between ultrasound parameters of the umbilical and middle cerebral arteries and intrauterine fetal distress

BACKGROUND By comprehensively analyzing the blood flow parameters of the umbilical and middle cerebral arteries,doctors can more accurately identify fetal intrauterine distress,as well as assess its severity,so that timely interventions can be implemented to safeguard the health and safety of the fetus.AIM To identify the relationship between ultrasound parameters of the umbilical and middle cerebral arteries and intrauterine distress.METHODS Clinical data of pregnant women admitted between January 2021 and January 2023 were collected and divided into the observation and control groups(n=50 each),according to the presence or absence of intrauterine distress.The ultrasound hemodynamic parameters of the uterine artery(UtA),fetal middle cerebral artery(MCA),and umbilical artery(UmA)were compared with neonatal outcomes and occurrence of intrauterine distress in the two groups.RESULTS Comparison of ultrasonic hemodynamic parameters,resistance index(RI),pulsatility index(PI),and systolic maximal blood flow velocity of UmA compared to diastolic blood flow velocity(S/D),revealed higher values of fetal MCA,PI,and S/D of UmA in pregnant women with UtA compared to controls(P<0.05),while there was no difference between the two groups in terms of RI(P<0.05)The incidence of a neonatal Apgar score of 8-10 points was lower in the observation group(66.7%)than in the control group(90.0%),and neonatal weight(2675.5±27.6 g)was lower than in the control group(3117.5±31.2 g).Further,cesarean section rate was higher in the observation group(70.0%)than in the control group(11.7%),and preterm labor rate was higher in the observation group(40.0%)than in the control group(10.0%).The incidence of fetal distress,neonatal growth restriction and neonatal asphyxia were also higher in the observation group(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION Fetal MCA,UmA,and maternal UtA hemodynamic abnormalities all develop in pregnant women with intrauterine distress during late pregnancy,which suggests that clinical attention should be paid to them,and monitoring should be strengthened to provide guidance for clinical intervention.

Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of fetal maxillofacial teratoma:Two case reports

BACKGROUND Facial teratoma is a rare benign tumor that accounts for about 1.6%of all teratomas and can be diagnosed by prenatal ultrasound(US).The purpose of this report was to describe our experience with the diagnosis of fetal facial teratoma by prenatal US at second trimester to provide a reference for clinical diagnosis of fetal maxillofacial teratoma.CASE SUMMARY We present two cases of patients with abnormal fetal facial findings on US at second trimester of pregnancy in our department.Case 1 was a 31-year-old G3 P1+1 female,with US revealing a heterogeneous echogenicity of 32 mm×20 mm×31 mm on the fetal face,most of it located outside the oral cavity and filling the root of the oral cavity.Case 2 was a 29-year-old G1P0 female,with fetal head and neck US revealing a cystic-solid echo mass measuring 42 mm×33 mm×44 mm,the upper edge of the lesion reaching the palate and filling the oral cavity.The contours of the lesions were visualized using three-dimensional(3D)US imaging.Both patients decided to give up treatment.Biopsies of the lesions were performed after induction of labor,and diagnosed as maxillofacial teratoma.CONCLUSION Fetal maxillofacial teratomas can be diagnosed by US in early pregnancy,allowing parents to expedite treatment decisions.

Increased Mortality Risk in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: A Scoping Review

Objective: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) are common, often undiagnosed, lifelong developmental disorders that result from prenatal alcohol exposure. FASD is present at birth and typically identified around seven years of age. The most severe outcome in cases of FASD is mortality. The purpose of this scoping review is to 1) use a systematic review to provide an estimated mortality proportion for children with FASD, and 2) update a study published in 2014 by reviewing published reports of mortality in individuals diagnosed with FASD. Method: A search of PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar for reports published between 2013 and 2023 on mortality in individuals with FASD. Results: Three population-based studies have reported on all-cause mortality rates, finding a combined mortality rate of 10.9%, a 2.63 fold (95% CI: 2.61 to 2.65) increase in mortality risk over the general population. Since 2016, this review identified only eight new cases meeting the study inclusion criteria. The reported causes of death were five cases of pneumonia, and one case each of failure to thrive and dehydration, intestinal dilatation and asphyxiation caused by overeating due to pica, and acute gastric volvulus. Discussion: While current research suggests a diagnosis of FASD is associated with a 2.6-fold increase in mortality risk, this is likely an underestimation, as most cases of FASD-related mortality go unreported. Globally, about 1 new case is reported every 15 months. However, in the United States alone, between 1752 to 4400 FASD related deaths occur annually. Our review suggests that FASD is rarely identified as a causal or contributing factor in deaths of children and adolescents, resulting in a substantial undercount of FASD-related deaths. Increased attention to the role of FASD in infant and child mortality case reviews, child death review committee reports, and mortality reviews is needed.

Distinct and Additive Effects of Alcohol and Thiamine Deficiency in the Developing Brain: Relevance to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Background: Neurodevelopmental abnormalities in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) are linked to brain insulin resistance and oxidative stress. However, the role of thiamine deficiency as a distinct or additive factor in the pathogenesis of the neurodevelopmental and metabolic derangements in FASD has not been determined. Methods: Control and ethanol-exposed human PNET2 cerebellar neuronal cells and rat cerebellar slice cultures were treated with vehicle or pyrithiamine (Pyr) to assess independent and additive effects of thiamine deficiency on ethanol-mediated neurotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, insulin resistance, inhibition of neuronal and glial genes, and oxidative stress. Results: Pyr treatments (0 - 200 µM) caused dose-dependent cell loss (Crystal Violet assay) and reduced mitochondrial function (MTT assay) in PNET2 neuronal cultures. Ethanol alone (100 mM) significantly reduced PNET2 neuronal viability, MTT activity, and ATP production. Over the broad dose range of Pyr treatment, ethanol significantly reduced ATP content and cell number and increased mitochondrial mass (MitoTracker Green). Ex vivo cerebellar slice culture studies revealed ethanol-induced developmental architectural disruption that was substantially worsened by Pyr. The adverse effects of ethanol were linked to increased lipid peroxidation and inhibition of asparatyl-asparaginyl-β-hydroxylase (ASPH) expression. The independent and additive effects of Pyr were associated with increased cytotoxicity, lipid peroxidation, Caspase 3 activation, and Tau accumulation. Conclusions: During development, alcohol exposure and thiamine deficiency exert distinct but overlapping molecular pathologies that ultimately impair the structure and function of cerebellar neurons. While both insults drive cell loss and mitochondrial dysfunction with increased lipid peroxidation, ethanol’s additional inhibitory effects on ASPH reflect impairments in insulin and IGF signaling. In contrast, Pyr’s main adverse effects were likely due to neurotoxicity and the activation of apoptosis cascades. The findings suggest that FASD severity may be reduced by thiamine supplementation, but without additional support for insulin/IGF signaling networks, FASD would not be prevented.

Is a Mini-Screen for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Feasible?

Background: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) are a global public health concern with lifelong consequences for affected individuals. Recent prevalence studies suggest FASD prevalence rates range from 1-5% among school age children. Most people with FASD are not correctly diagnosed and inadequate screening to identify patients with increased risk may contribute to under-diagnosis. This study developed a 10-item screening tool for FASD and examined its feasibility. Methods: The sample consisted of 355 children who had been evaluated at an FASD clinic. Data from the 33-item Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder Behavioral Checklist was used to develop a brief FASD screen by comparing the changes in Cronbach’s alpha for different combinations of items. The validity of the brief scale was then further examined using receiving operating characteristic analyses. Results: The 10-item screen demonstrated acceptable sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy to identify children at high risk for FASD. The percentage correctly classified was 91.3 and the area under the receiving operating characteristic curve was 0.971. Conclusions: This feasibility study demonstrated that a screen for FASD consisting of 10 items with yes or no responses can be completed in 3 - 4 minutes. The tool is brief, with a low administration burden and has acceptable epidemiologic performance characteristics including accuracy. Future research should examine the performance of this tool when used in larger, community-based populations where screening for FASD would be appropriate.

Aqueous Extract of Ceiba pentandra Stimulates the Production of Fetal Hemoglobin in Sickle Cell Patients

Subsequent studies have demonstrated the reversed activity of the aqueous extract of Ceiba pentandra on the deformity of sickled red blood cells in hypoxia conditions. The observation which related to an in vitro study had given rise to hopes as to the management of sickle cell disease (SCD) by the use of this plant species. In this paper, the authors aimed to investigate the effect of the aqueous extract of C. pentandra on the production of fetal hemoglobin in SCD patients. The work carried out hemoglobin electrophoresis, for a period of six months, on blood samples from SCD patients who voluntarily undergone routine treatment, based on the medicinal recipe prepared from the bark of the trunk and branches of C. pentandra, in a hospital center of herbal medicines located in Kinshasa. The medicinal recipe called BEAT-SS is a patented product of the hospital center named Centre de Phytothérapie Moderne NIECA. Blood samples from patients under treatment were taken to evaluate the behavior of different forms of hemoglobin (hemoglobin S, hemoglobin F and hemoglobin A2). Agarose gel electrophoresis with integrated reading was used for the separation of the different forms of hemoglobin, as well as their dosage on each sample of sickle blood. A reduction in the proportion of hemoglobin S and an increase in the proportion of fetal hemoglobin were found in all sickle cell patients during the treatment period. This observation could affirm that the management of sickle cell patients using the recipe prepared from the aqueous extract of C. pentandra could increase the level of fetal hemoglobin in these patients.

Fetal MRI Artifacts: Semi-Supervised Generative Adversarial Neural Network for Motion Artifacts Reducing in Fetal Magnetic Resonance Images

This study addresses challenges in fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) related to motion artifacts, maternal respiration, and hardware limitations. To enhance MRI quality, we employ deep learning techniques, specifically utilizing Cycle GAN. Synthetic pairs of images, simulating artifacts in fetal MRI, are generated to train the model. Our primary contribution is the use of Cycle GAN for fetal MRI restoration, augmented by artificially corrupted data. We compare three approaches (supervised Cycle GAN, Pix2Pix, and Mobile Unet) for artifact removal. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed supervised Cycle GAN effectively removes artifacts while preserving image details, as validated through Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) and normalized Mean Absolute Error (MAE). The method proves comparable to alternatives but avoids the generation of spurious regions, which is crucial for medical accuracy.

Analysis of the Efficacy of Prenatal B-Ultrasound in Diagnosing Fetal Abnormalities

Objective:To explore the positive significance of using prenatal B-ultrasound in diagnosing fetal abnormalities.Methods:A total of 200 pregnant women who visited Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital between January 2023 and January 2024 were recruited as the research subjects.All pregnant women received prenatal examinations.A retrospective analysis was carried out to analyze the positive significance of prenatal B-ultrasound examination in the diagnosis of fetal abnormalities.Results:Prenatal B-ultrasound examination detected 10 cases of fetal abnormalities,with a detection rate of 5.00%.When compared with the postnatal examination results of 5.50%,the difference was insignificant(P>0.05).Moreover,comparing the fetal limb abnormalities and cardiovascular abnormalities in prenatal B-ultrasound examination and postnatal examination,one case of congenital heart disease was missed in the prenatal B-ultrasound examination,and the others were consistent with the postnatal examination results,with a coincidence rate of 90.91%,indicating a high compliance rate.Conclusion:Fetal abnormalities have a great impact on mothers,babies,and families,and it is particularly important to strengthen diagnosis during this process.Prenatal B-ultrasound examination can improve the accuracy of diagnosis of fetal abnormalities and can be promoted in clinical practice as a basis for screening fetal abnormalities.

Fetal Thigh Circumference versus Fetal Abdominal Subcutaneous Tissue Thickness in Prediction of Fetal Weight in Term Pregnant Women

Background: Fetal weight estimation by ultrasound is an important factor in obstetrics;it is directly related to the gestational age which helps to plan the mode of delivery and labor management. Objective: to compare between fetal thigh circumference (TC) and abdominal subcutaneous tissue thickness (SCT) in estimating birthweight in term pregnant women. Patients and Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at outpatient clinic or emergency room, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University Maternity Hospitals from March 2022 until May 2023. During this study, 100 term pregnant females with gestational age 37 - 40 weeks attended El Demerdash Maternity Hospital and scheduled for delivery either at outpatient clinic or emergency room were enrolled, after consenting each of them. Basic fetal biometry was performed by an expert and professional medical personnel to ensure the accuracy of examination results. Fetal abdominal subcutaneous thickness and fetal thigh circumference were measured for assessment of gestational age and correlated with actual fetal body weight. In the current study, three formulas;Hadlock, Vintzileos’ and SCT formula were correlated with actual fetal body weight after birth. Results: The present study revealed that TC formula is closer to the actual birth weight, followed by Hadlock formula, while the SCT formula is the furthest from it. Conclusion: To increase the accuracy of birth estimations, regular ultrasound examinations should include fetal thigh circumference measurement.

Outcomes of Fetal Macrosomia and Associated Factors: A Case-Control Facility Based Study

Objective: To identify risk factors of perinatal complications among macrosomic babies in a third level health care facility. Method: We conducted a case-control institutional based study. Cases (macrosomic babies and mothers with perinatal complications) and controls (pairs free of perinatal complication) of singleton live births were extracted from the maternity registry from January 2017 to December 2019. Matching was done for sex and gestational age after exclusion of genetic cause of macrosomia. The main primary outcome was the risk factors for complications. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio and the magnitude of association between the primary endpoint and the different covariates of the study. Results: Out of 362 couples included, we had 186 cases and 176 controls. The main perinatal complications were the delivery by caesarean section (26.5%) and lesions of the genital canal, 20.2%. There were no maternal deaths. Among newborns, metabolic complications (19.6%) were a leading cause of harmful outcomes before respiratory complications (12.4%), dystocic presentations (6.3%) or traumatic injuries (1.7%). The neonatal case fatality rate was 2.8%. Maternal age ≥30 years (p = 0.024);non-screening for gestational diabetes (p = 0.027);history of caesarean section (p = 0.041);weight gain ≥16 kg (p 0.001);maternal HIV (p = 0.047);birth weight ≥4500 g (p = 0.015) and birth height ≥52.7 ± 1.7 cm (p = 0.026) were risk factors for perinatal adverse outcomes. Conclusion: The delivery of a macrosomic baby remains problematic in this setting, and emphasizes the need to improve routine screening of gestational diabetes within a quality of prenatal follow-up through a multidisciplinary perinatal team involving obstetricians, endocrinologists and neonatal pediatricians.

Imperative for improvements and international convergence of intrapartum fetal monitoring: A bird's eye view

Intrapartum fetal monitoring has been criticized for the lack of evidence of improvement in fetal outcome despite causing increased operative intervention. Paradoxically, cardiotocography （CTG） has been a major driver for litigation for neonatal neurological injury. This analytical review tries to explore why extensive clinical studies and trials over 50 years have failed to demonstrate or bring about signifcant improvement in intrapartum fetal monitoring. There seems a need for significant reform. International congruence on most aspects of CTG interpretation [defnitions of fetal heart rate （FHR） parameters, CTG recording speed, 3-tier systems, etc .] is highly desirable to facilitate future meaningful clinical studies, evaluation and progress in this field. The FHR changes are non-specific and poor surrogate for fetal well-being. As a compromise for maintaining low false-negative results for fetal acidemia, a high false-positive value may have to be accepted. The need for redefning the place of adjuvant tests of fetal well-being like fetal blood sampling or fetal electrocardiography （ECG） is discussed. The FHR decelerations are often deterministic （center-stage） in CTG interpretation and 3-tier categorization. It is discussed if their scientifc and physiological classifcation （avoiding framing and confirmation biases） may be best based on time relationship to uterine contractions alone. This may provide a more sound foundation which could improve the reliability and further evolution of 3-tier systems. Results of several trials of fetal ECG （STAN） have been inconclusive and a need for a fresh approach or strategy is considered. It is hoped that the long anticipated Computer-aided analysis of CTG will be more objective and reliable （overcome human factors） and will offer valuable support or may eventually replace visual CTG interpretation. In any case, the recording and archiving all CTGs digitally and testing cord blood gases routinely in every delivery would be highly desirable for future research. This would facilitate well designed retrospective studies which can be very informative especially when prospective randomised controlled trials are often diffcult and resource-intensive.

Long-term implications of fetal growth restriction

Fetal growth restriction(FGR),or intrauterine growth restriction(IUGR),is a complication of pregnancy where the fetus does not achieve its genetic growth potential.FGR is characterized by a pathological retardation of intrauterine growth velocity in the curve of intrauterine growth.However,the FGR definition is still debated,and there is a lack of a uniform definition in the literature.True IUGR,compared to constitutional smallness,is a pathological condition in which the placenta fails to deliver an adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients to the developing fetus.Infants with IUGR,compared to appropriately grown gestational age infants,have a significantly higher risk of mortality and neonatal complications with long-term consequences.Several studies have demonstrated how suboptimal fetal growth leads to long-lasting physiological alterations for the developing fetus as well as for the newborn and adult in the future.The long-term effects of fetal growth retardation may be adaptations to poor oxygen and nutrient supply that are effective in the fetal period but deleterious in the long term through structural or functional alterations.Epidemiologic studies showed that FGR could be a contributing factor for adult chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease,metabolic syndrome,diabetes,respiratory diseases and impaired lung function,and chronic kidney disease.In this review we discussed pathophysiologic mechanisms of FGR-related complications and potential preventive measures for FGR.