Foetal cardiac function in third trimester pregnancies with reduced fetal movements.

The objective of our study was to investigate the possible relationship between poor perinatal outcome and foetal cardiac functions in pregnant women with reduced foetal movements (RFM). This cross-sectional study included 126 pregnant women with normal foetal movements (Group 1, Controls) and 42 pregnant women over 32 weeks gestation with RFM (Group 2). Group 2 was further divided into two subgroups according to their perinatal outcome: normal perinatal outcome (Group 2a) and poor perinatal outcome (Group 2b). Cardiotocography, the E/A ratio in both atrioventricular valves, myocardial performance index (MPI) and foetal tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (f-TAPSE) were evaluated. Foetuses with poor perinatal outcome had a higher MPI (p = .003), higher tricuspid and mitral E/A (p < .001), and lower f-TAPSE values (p < .001). In regression analysis, f-TAPSE was the only parameter (p = .04) independently associated with poor perinatal outcome. In conclusion, examining f-TAPSE may predict adverse perinatal outcome in pregnancies with RFM.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Reduced foetal movement (RFM) is associated with adverse pregnancy outcome. Cardiotocography, amniotic fluid assessment, estimated birthweight, foetal Doppler and formal foetal movement count (kick chart) are generally used in the clinical assessment of pregnancies with reduced foetal movements. These tests, we currently use to assess foetal wellbeing in women with reduced foetal movements, have limited sensitivity in predicting foetal compromise.What do the results of this study add? Foetal cardiac Doppler may potentially be used as an important adjunct to the conventional management of women with a perception of reduced foetal movements.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Foetal echocardiographic evaluation, such as f-TAPSE, may influence clinical practice by enabling improved risk stratification for poor perinatal outcome, thus allowing more timely definitive intervention. This could help to decrease the rate of stillbirth related to reduced foetal movements. The few established echocardiographically derived parameters, which can asses global right ventricle function, are not always easy to obtain, however, f-TAPSE is easily obtainable using ultrasound and it appears to be a clinically useful echocardiographic measurement of right ventricular function.

Fetal and Neonatal Thyroid Dysfunction.

Fetal and neonatal dysfunctions include rare serious disorders involving abnormal thyroid function during the second half of gestation, which may persist throughout life, as for most congenital thyroid disorders, or be transient, resolving in the first few weeks of life, as in autoimmune hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism and some cases of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) with the thyroid gland in situ. Primary CH is diagnosed by neonatal screening, which has been implemented for 40 years in developed countries and should be introduced worldwide, as early treatment prevents irreversible neurodevelopmental delay. Central CH is a rarer entity occurring mostly in association with multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies. Other rare disorders impair the action of thyroid hormones. Neonatal Graves' disease (GD) results from the passage of thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TRAbs) across the placenta, from mother to fetus. It may affect the fetuses and neonates of mothers with a history of current or past GD, but hyperthyroidism develops only in those with high levels of stimulatory TRAb activity. The presence of antibodies predominantly blocking thyroid-stimulating hormone receptors may result in transient hypothyroidism, possibly followed by neonatal hyperthyroidism, depending on the balance between the antibodies present. Antithyroid drugs taken by the mother cross the placenta, treating potential fetal hyperthyroidism, but they may also cause transient fetal and neonatal hypothyroidism. Early diagnosis and treatment are key to optimizing the child's prognosis. This review focuses on the diagnosis and management of these patients during the fetal and neonatal periods. It includes the description of a case of fetal and neonatal autoimmune hyperthyroidism.

Detection of maternal and fetal stress from the electrocardiogram with self-supervised representation learning.

In the pregnant mother and her fetus, chronic prenatal stress results in entrainment of the fetal heartbeat by the maternal heartbeat, quantified by the fetal stress index (FSI). Deep learning (DL) is capable of pattern detection in complex medical data with high accuracy in noisy real-life environments, but little is known about DL's utility in non-invasive biometric monitoring during pregnancy. A recently established self-supervised learning (SSL) approach to DL provides emotional recognition from electrocardiogram (ECG). We hypothesized that SSL will identify chronically stressed mother-fetus dyads from the raw maternal abdominal electrocardiograms (aECG), containing fetal and maternal ECG. Chronically stressed mothers and controls matched at enrolment at 32 weeks of gestation were studied. We validated the chronic stress exposure by psychological inventory, maternal hair cortisol and FSI. We tested two variants of SSL architecture, one trained on the generic ECG features for emotional recognition obtained from public datasets and another transfer-learned on a subset of our data. Our DL models accurately detect the chronic stress exposure group (AUROC = 0.982 ± 0.002), the individual psychological stress score (R2 = 0.943 ± 0.009) and FSI at 34 weeks of gestation (R2 = 0.946 ± 0.013), as well as the maternal hair cortisol at birth reflecting chronic stress exposure (0.931 ± 0.006). The best performance was achieved with the DL model trained on the public dataset and using maternal ECG alone. The present DL approach provides a novel source of physiological insights into complex multi-modal relationships between different regulatory systems exposed to chronic stress. The final DL model can be deployed in low-cost regular ECG biosensors as a simple, ubiquitous early stress detection and monitoring tool during pregnancy. This discovery should enable early behavioral interventions.

[Ballantyne syndrome associated with fetal cardiac rhabdomyoma: a case report]. / Syndrome de Ballantyne associée à un rhabdomyome cardiaque fœtal: à propos d´un cas.

Ballantyne syndrome or mirror syndrome was first described in 1892. It is a disorder affecting pregnant women describing the association of fetal anasarca complicated by more or less generalized maternal edema and albuminuria (and sometimes anemia). It is a rare clinical entity. Diagnosis is based on a triad consisting of fetal hydrops, generalized maternal edema and placentomegaly. It can be associated with fetal hydrops from any cause. Diagnostic should be suspected in patients with maternal edema syndrome associated with fetal anasarca. Guarded fetal prognosis can be associated with high maternal morbidity; hence the need for early diagnosis, resting on a clear determination of its cause, and aimed to implement antenatal treatment improving maternal and fetal prognosis. We here report a unique case of Ballantyne syndrome which has never been described in the literature. The study involved a 32-year-old female patient with fetal hydrops caused by fetal cardiac rhabdomyoma.

[Severe neonatal thrombocytopenia due to maternal alloimmunization: case report and literature review]. / Allo-immunisation fœto-maternelle sévère: à propos d´un cas et revue de la littérature.

Prior to 1970, maternal alloimmunization was the leading cause of perinatal death. Currently, it has become rarer thanks to screening and monitoring in high-risk pregnancies. The advent of transcranial doppler has been a turning point in the monitoring of these pregnancies, as it is a reliable, non-invasive method for the diagnosis of fetal anemia. This helps clinicians decide whether or not to perform intrauterine transfusion. Anti-D immunoprophylaxis has also played an important role in preventing fetal and neonatal hemolytic anemia and its administration is currently well codified. Adequate management helps to avoid the effects of alloimmunization on the fetus and newborn as well as to reduce the risks of alloimmunization in subsequent pregnancies. We here report a case of severe fetomaternal rhesus (Rh) alloimmunization during unmonitored pregnancy complicated by fetoplacental anasarca.

Fetal dural sinus thrombosis: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Fetal dural sinus thrombosis (DST) is a rare condition. Although numerous case reports exist, the findings appear heterogenous and providing accurate patient counselling remains challenging. METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidance. RESULTS: Thirty-one studies including 78 patients were included in this review. No association with maternal or neonatal coagulopathy, infection or trauma was found. The average gestational age at diagnosis was 25 weeks (range 17-34 weeks). Approximately half of foetuses affected were female (48.7%); one quarter were male (25.6%) and one quarter had no sex stated (25.6%). Termination of pregnancy was chosen in 25.6% of cases (20/78). In continuing pregnancies,10.3% (6/58) experienced a perinatal death. Antenatally, the majority of lesions either decreased in size (38.5%) or completely resolved (32.7%). The neonatal or childhood outcome was normal in 88.0% of survivors (44/50). The average age at follow up was 16.4 months, ranging from birth to 6 years. CONCLUSION: This review found that 10% of DST cases experience in-utero or neonatal death. In survivors, the majority of cases reduce in size or completely resolve in pregnancy and 85% are reported to have a good outcome. However, further evidence is needed regarding long-term neurocognitive sequelae.

Fetal Hypothyroidism Impairs Aortic Vasorelaxation Responses in Adulthood: Involvement of Hydrogen Sulfide and Nitric Oxide Cross talk.

ABSTRACT: Thyroid hormones have a wide range of effects on growth, differentiation, evolution, metabolism, and physiological function of all tissues, including the vascular bed. In this study, the effect of fetal hypothyroidism on impairment of aortic vasorelaxation responses in adulthood was investigated with emphasis on possible involvement of hydrogen sulfide (H2S)/nitric oxide interaction. Two groups of female rats were selected. After mating and observation of vaginal plaque, one group received propylthiouracil (200 ppm in drinking water) until the end of pregnancy and another group had no propylthiouracil treatment during the fetal period. In adult rats, aortic relaxation responses to l-arginine and GYY4137 were assessed in the presence or absence of Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride and dl-propargylglycine in addition to the biochemical measurement of thyroid hormones and some related factors. Obtained findings showed a lower vasorelaxation response for GYY4137 and l-arginine in the fetal hypothyroidism group, and preincubation with Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride or dl-propargylglycine did not significantly aggravate this weakened relaxation response. In addition, aortic levels of sirtuin 3, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, cystathionine gamma-lyase, and H2S were significantly lower in the fetal hypothyroidism group. Meanwhile, no significant changes were obtained regarding serum levels of thyroid hormones including free triiodothyronine;, total triiodothyronine, free thyroxine, total thyroxine, and thyroid-stimulating hormone in adult rats. It can be concluded that hypothyroidism in the fetal period has inappropriate effects on the differentiation and development of vascular bed with subsequent functional abnormality that persists into adulthood, and part of this vascular abnormality is mediated through weakened interaction and/or cross talk between H2S and nitric oxide.

Prenatal predictors of motor function in children with open spina bifida: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors for intact motor function (MF) at birth and at 12 months of life in babies with prenatally versus postnatally repaired open spina bifida (OSB). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Texas Children's Hospital, 2011-2018. POPULATION: Patients who underwent either prenatal or postnatal OSB repair. METHODS: Prenatal MF of the lower extremities was evaluated by ultrasound following a metameric distribution at the time of diagnosis (US1), 6 weeks postoperatively (or 6 weeks after initial evaluation in postnatally repaired cases) (US2) and at the last ultrasound before delivery (US3). At birth and at 12 months, MF was assessed clinically. Intact MF (S1) was defined as the observation of plantar flexion of the ankle. Results from logistic regression analysis are expressed as odds ratios (95% confidence intervals, P values). RESULTS: A total of 127 patients were included: 93 with prenatal repair (51 fetoscopic; 42 open hysterotomy repair) and 34 with postnatal repair. In the prenatal repair group, predictors for intact MF at birth and at 12 months included: absence of clubfeet (OR 11.3, 95% CI 3.2-39.1, P < 0.01; OR 10.8 95% CI 2.4-47.6, P < 0.01); intact MF at US1 (OR 19.7, 95% CI 5.0-76.9, P < 0.01; OR 8.7, 95% CI 2.0-38.7, P < 0.01); intact MF at US2 (OR 22, 95% CI 6.5-74.2, P < 0.01; OR 13.5, 95% 3.0-61.4, P < 0.01); intact MF at US3 (OR 13.7, 95% CI 3.4-55.9, P < 0.01; OR 12.6, 95% CI 2.5-64.3, P < 0.01); and having a flat lesion (OR 11.2, 95% CI 2.4-51.1, P < 0.01; OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.1-16.5, P = 0.04). In the postnatal repair group, the only predictor of intact MF at 12 months was having intact MF at birth (OR 15.2, 95% CI 2.0-113.3, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The detection of intact MF in utero from mid-gestation to delivery predicts intact MF at birth and at 12 months in babies who undergo prenatal OSB repair. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Detection of intact motor function in utero predicts intact motor function at birth and at 1 year in fetuses who undergo prenatal OSB repair.

Budesonide with surfactant decreases systemic responses in mechanically ventilated preterm lambs exposed to fetal intra-amniotic lipopolysaccharide.

BACKGROUND: Chorioamnionitis is associated with increased rates of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in ventilated preterm infants. Budesonide when added to surfactant decreased lung and systemic inflammation from mechanical ventilation in preterm lambs and decreased the rates and severity of BPD in preterm infants. We hypothesized that the addition of budesonide to surfactant will decrease the injury from mechanical ventilation in preterm lambs exposed to intra-amniotic (IA) lipopolysaccharide (LPS). METHODS: Lambs at 126 ± 1 day GA received LPS 10 mg IA 48 h prior to injurious mechanical ventilation. After 15 min, lambs received either surfactant mixed with: (1) saline or (2) Budesonide 0.25 mg/kg, then ventilated with normal tidal volumes for 4 h. Injury markers in the lung, liver, and brain were compared. RESULTS: Compared with surfactant alone, the addition of budesonide improved blood pressures, dynamic compliance, and ventilation, while decreasing mRNA for pro-inflammatory cytokines in the lung, liver, and multiple areas of the brain. LPS caused neuronal activation and structural changes in the brain that were not altered by budesonide. Budesonide was not retained within the lung beyond 4 h. CONCLUSIONS: In preterm lambs exposed to IA LPS, the addition of budesonide to surfactant improved physiology and markers of lung and systemic inflammation. IMPACT: The addition of budesonide to surfactant decreases the lung and systemic responses to injurious mechanical ventilation preterm lambs exposed to fetal LPS. Budesonide was present in the plasma by 15 min and the majority of the budesonide is no longer in the lung at 4 h of ventilation. IA LPS and mechanical ventilation caused structural changes in the brain that were not altered by short-term exposure to budesonide. The budesonide dose of 0.25 mg/kg being used clinically seems likely to decrease lung inflammation in preterm infants with chorioamnionitis.

Gestational weight gain and foetal acidosis in vaginal and caesarean deliveries: The Japan Environment and Children's Study.

Inappropriate gestational weight gain (GWG), either above or below the recommended values, has been associated with an increased risk of adverse obstetric outcomes. To evaluate the risks of GWG for foetal acidosis according to pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and mode of delivery, we analysed women with singleton pregnancies between 2011 and 2014 in the Japan Environment and Children's Study. Participants (n = 71,799) were categorised according to pre-pregnancy BMI. GWG was categorised into insufficient, appropriate, or excessive. Foetal acidosis was defined as umbilical artery pH (UmA-pH) < 7.20 or < 7.10. Multiple logistic regressions were performed for each BMI category to identify the risks of GWG for foetal acidosis, accounting for the mode of delivery. Excessive GWG was significantly associated with increased foetal acidosis in overweight women and in women whose pre-pregnancy BMI was 23.0-25.0 kg/m2 especially in those with vaginal deliveries. Conversely, excessive GWG was not significantly associated with increased foetal acidosis in obese women and in women whose pre-pregnancy BMI was ≥ 25.0 kg/m2.

Is short-term-variation of fetal-heart-rate a better predictor of fetal acidaemia in labour? A feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Continuous intrapartum fetal monitoring is challenging and its clinical benefits are debated. The project evaluated whether short-term-variation (STV) and other computerised fetal heart rate (FHR) parameters (baseline FHR, long-term-variation, accelerations and decelerations) predicted acidaemia at birth. The aims of the study were to assess the changes in FHR pattern during labour and determine the feasibility of undertaking a definitive trial by reporting the practicalities of using the monitoring device, participant recruitment, data collection and staff training. METHODS: 200 high-risk women carrying a term singleton, non-anomalous fetus, requiring continuous FHR monitoring in labour were consented to participate from the Jessop Wing maternity unit, Sheffield, UK. The trans-abdominal fetal ECG monitor was placed as per clinical protocol. During the monitoring session, clinicians were blinded to the computerised FHR parameters. We analysed the last hour of the FHR and its ability to predict umbilical arterial blood pH <7.20 using receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curves. RESULTS: Of 200 women, 137 cases were excluded as either the monitor did not work from the onset of labour (n = 30), clinical staff did not return or used the monitor on another patient (n = 37), umbilical cord blood not obtained (n = 25), FHR data not recorded within an hour of birth (n = 34) and other reasons (n = 11). In 63 cases included in the final analysis, the computer-derived FHR parameters did not show significant correlation with umbilical artery cord pH <7.20. Labour was associated with a significant increase in short and long term variation of FHR and number of deceleration (P<0.001). However, baseline FHR decreased significantly before delivery (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The project encountered a number of challenges, with learning points crucial to informing the design of a large study to evaluate the potential place of intrapartum computerised FHR parameters, using abdominal fetal ECG monitor before its clinical utility and more widespread adoption can be ascertained.

Mid-gestational fetal placental blood flow is diminished in the fetus with congenital heart disease.

OBJECTIVE: Data suggest fetuses with congenital heart disease (CHD) have placental abnormalities. Their abnormal placental vasculature may affect fetal placental blood flow, which has not previously been explored. METHOD: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study comparing umbilical venous volume flow (UVVF) of single ventricle, D-transposition of the great arteries, and tetralogy of Fallot fetuses with fetuses without CHD. UVVF and combined cardiac output (CCO) were calculated from fetal echocardiography and compared using t tests, χ2 and Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: Mean gestational age and fetal weight were greater in CHD fetuses (26.5 weeks, 1119.4 g; n = 81, P < .001) compared to controls (23.1 weeks, 675 g; n = 170, P < .001). UVVF/fetal weight was nevertheless decreased among cases (99.8 vs 115.3 mL/min/kg, P < .001). Subgroup analysis of 20- to 25-week fetuses demonstrated no significant differences in case and control baseline characteristics. In CHD fetuses (n = 31) compared to controls (n = 144), absolute UVVF (50.8 vs 62.1 mL/min, P = .006), and UVVF/fetal weight (98.8 vs 118.5 mL/min/kg, P < .001) were decreased. Findings were similar in single ventricle (n = 24) and hypoplastic left heart syndrome (n = 14). CONCLUSION: Mid-gestational placental blood flow in CHD fetuses is decreased compared to controls. Further study is needed to explore the relationship between UVVF and placental pathology, and impact on outcomes.

Management of the Category II Fetal Heart Rate Tracing.

Management of the category II fetal heart rate (FHR) tracing presents a common challenge in obstetrics. Up to 80% of women will have a category II FHR tracing at some point during labor. Here we propose a management algorithm to identify specific features of the FHR tracing that correlate with risk for fetal acidemia, target interventions to address FHR decelerations, and guide clinicians about when to proceed toward operative vaginal delivery or cesarean to achieve delivery before there is a high risk for significant fetal acidemia with potential for neurological injury or death.

Fetal Origins of Asthma: A Longitudinal Study from Birth to Age 36 Years.

Rationale: Deficits in infant lung function-including the ratio of the time to reach peak tidal expiratory flow to the total expiratory time (tptef/te) and maximal expiratory flow at FRC (V̇maxFRC)-have been linked to increased risk for childhood asthma.Objectives: To examine the individual and combined effects of tptef/te and V̇maxFRC in infancy on risk for asthma and abnormalities of airway structure into mid-adult life.Methods: One hundred eighty participants in the Tucson Children's Respiratory Study birth cohort had lung function measured by the chest-compression technique in infancy (mean age ± SD: 2.0 ± 1.2 mo). Active asthma was assessed in up to 12 questionnaires between ages 6 and 36 years. Spirometry and chest high-resolution computed tomographic (HRCT) imaging were completed in a subset of participants at age 26. The relations of infant tptef/te and V̇maxFRC to active asthma and airway structural abnormalities into adult life were tested in multivariable mixed models.Measurements and Main Results: After adjustment for covariates, a 1-SD decrease in infant tptef/te and V̇maxFRC was associated with a 70% (P = 0.001) and 55% (P = 0.005) increased risk of active asthma, respectively. These effects were partly independent, and two out of three infants who were in the lowest tertile for both tptef/te and V̇maxFRC developed active asthma by mid-adult life. Infant V̇maxFRC predicted reduced airflow and infant tptef/te reduced HRCT airway caliber at age 26.Conclusions: These findings underscore the long-lasting effects of the fetal origins of asthma, support independent contributions by infant tptef/te and V̇maxFRC to development of asthma, and link deficits at birth in tptef/te with HRCT-assessed structural airway abnormalities in adult life.

Maternal and fetal cardiovascular and metabolic effects of intra-operative uterine handling under general anesthesia during pregnancy in sheep.

A cohort study of 6,500,000 human pregnancies showed an increased risk of adverse fetal outcomes following abdominal but not non-abdominal surgery under general anesthesia. This may be the consequence of uterine handling during abdominal surgery. However, there are no data on any effects on the cardiometabolic physiology of the fetus or mother in response to uterine manipulation in otherwise healthy pregnancy. Consequently, 9 sheep in late gestation were anesthetized with isofluorane and maternal and fetal catheters and flow probes were implanted to determine cardiovascular and metabolic changes during uterine handling. Uterine handling led to an acute increase in uterine artery vascular resistance, fetal peripheral vasoconstriction, a reduction in oxygen delivery to the femoral circulation, worsening fetal acidosis. There was no evidence of systemic fetal hypoxia, or changes in fetal heart rate, carotid blood flow or carotid oxygen delivery. Therefore, the data support that uterine handling during abdominal surgery under general anesthesia can impact adversely on fetal cardiometabolic health. This may provide a potential explanation linking adverse fetal outcomes in abdominal compared with non-abdominal surgery during pregnancy. The data have important implications for human fetal surgery where the uterus is handled, as operative procedures during late gestation under general maternal anesthesia become more prevalent.

Unusual Circumstances and Additional Procedures for Fetal Evaluation in Labor.

This chapter describes several circumstances in which the interpretation of the intrapartum fetal heart rate pattern falls outside the usual frame of reference. This includes a more extensive discussion of causes of tachycardia and bradycardia. Ways in which a fetal dysrhythmia may manifest itself in the context of heart rate monitoring are described. Finally, the chapter reviews technological innovations designed to clarify the fetal status when compromise is suspected from the fetal heart rate pattern.

The Golden Hours of Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring: Systematic Approach to the Critical Times of Labor and Delivery.

The first hour after admission and the last hour before delivery are critical times for identifying and preventing hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. These are times of transition that require coordinated steps to identify fetuses at risk, institute effective plans for fetal heart rate monitoring, and to establish situational awareness. Interpretation and intervention based on fetal heart rate monitoring is an important part of the care provided during these crucial times. We present checklists for the first and last hour of labor for use on labor and delivery to help standardize and optimize the approach to care during these times.

Maternal Fetal Surgery: Intervention and Management.

Congenital malformations occur in about 3% of all live births and are a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. An evolving understanding of the developing human fetus, advances in imaging, availability of cutting-edge instrumentation, and enhanced understanding of fetal pathophysiology, have allowed for prenatal surgical interventions to improve fetal diseases and neonatal outcomes. Fetal surgical therapy is no longer restricted to life-threatening prenatal diagnoses and can be categorized into either open surgical techniques or minimally invasive endoscopic/ultrasound-guided techniques. Patient selection requires a thorough multidisciplinary evaluation and shared decision-making process.

Maternal and fetal thyroid dysfunction following porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus2 infection.

To better understand the host response to porcine reproductive and respiratory virus-2 (PRRSV2) we evaluated circulating thyroid hormone and associated gene expression in a late gestation challenge model. Pregnant gilts were inoculated at gestation day 85 and fetal samples collected at either 12 or 21 days post-infection (dpi). A subset of fetuses was selected for analysis based on viability and viral load categorized as either uninfected-viable (UNIF), high viral load viable (HV-VIA) or high viral load meconium stained (HV-MEC) and were compared with gestational age matched controls (CON). In dams, circulating levels of total T3 and T4 decreased in the acute period following infection and rebounded by 21 dpi. A similar effect was observed in fetuses, but was largely restricted to HV-VIA and HV-MEC, with minimal decrease noted in UNIF relative to CON at 21 dpi. Gene expression in fetal heart at 12 dpi showed significant decompensatory transcription of thyroid hormone transporters (SLC16A2) and deiodinases (DIO2, DIO3), which was not observed in brain. Correspondingly, genes associated with cell cycle progression (CDK1,2,4) were downregulated in only the heart of highly infected fetuses, while expression of their inhibitor (CDKN1A) was upregulated in both tissues. Finally, expression of genes associated with cardiac stress including CAMKD and AGT were upregulated in the hearts of highly infected fetuses, and a shift in expression of MYH6 to MYH7 was observed in HV-MEC fetuses specifically. Collectively, the results suggest PRRSV2 infection causes a hypothyroid state that disproportionally impacts the fetal heart over the brain.

Diagnostic analysis of abnormal increase of PASP in fetus in middle- and late-stage pregnancy by color Doppler echocardiography.

OBJECTIVE: Our study was conducted with an attempt to investigate the diagnostic analysis of abnormal increase of fetal pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) in middle and late pregnancy by color Doppler echocardiography. METHODS: From August 2017 to January 2019, 52 fetuses with moderate or greater tricuspid high-speed regurgitation were retrospectively analyzed and selected as Group A. 88 fetuses with full-color blood flow of the two ventricles and symmetrical sizes of the cardiac cavities on both sides harboring tricuspid valve and mild regurgitation or a small amount of regurgitation were selected as Group B. The pulmonary artery blood flow acceleration time (AT) and right ventricular ejection time (ET) was measured, and the PASP was calculated. RESULTS: The tricuspid regurgitation velocity, tricuspid regurgitation pressure difference and PASP in Group A were higher than those in Group B (p < 0.05), and the AT and AT/ET values in Group A were lower than those in Group B (p < 0.05). Gestational age, tricuspid regurgitation velocity and tricuspid regurgitation pressure difference were positively correlated with PASP. However, AT/ET and AT value were negatively correlated with PASP. CONCLUSION: The abnormal increase of pulmonary artery can be assessed by color Doppler echocardiography of fetal tricuspid regurgitation, which is worth popularizing and applying in clinic. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: It was suggested that the middle- and late-stage fetuses with moderate or greater tricuspid regurgitation and with >20 mmHg regurgitation pressure difference should be followed up in clinic. If PASP was ≥70 mmHg with symptoms of right heart failure, fetuses should be closely observed until 35-36 weeks old to ensure fetal safety and early delivery would be recommended.