Search

Examines amniotic fluid cell morphology in early antenatal prediction of abortion and low birth weight. Problems on maternal serum concentrations; Identification on types of rapidly adherent (RA) cells; Value of RA on prediction of abortion.

Haemoglobin synthesis was studied in fetal blood samples obtained at 17 to 20 weeks' gestation in 22 women at risk of carrying a fetus with homozygous -thalassaemia. A presumptive diagnosis of homozygous -thalassaemia was made in four cases, and the pregnancy was terminated. An inconclusive answer was obtained in one case, and the patient also chose to have her pregnancy terminated. Two fetuses were lost as a result of the procedure. Of the remaining 15 pregnancies, 13 proceeded to term and, two to 36 weeks; in: each case a normal infant or one heterozygous for -thalassaemia was delivered.
Current efforts should be directed towards improving the blood sampling technology so that fetal blood sampling can be used widely technology so that fetal blood thalassaemia is a major problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the economic benefits of routine prenatal diagnosis of Down's syndrome with termination pregnancies of pregnant women in Scotland. Prevention of affected birth; Consideration of fetal myelocele examination; Signs and symptoms of the syndrome.

Focuses on the antenatal services provided for pregnant women in England. Causes of delays in obtaining referral to a hospital antenatal clinic; Benefits of contact antenatal care; Information on the prenatal screening program for Down's syndrome patients in the region; Rate of pregnant women contacting the services.

Studies the effect of introducing antenatal diagnosis on reproductive behavior of families at risk for thalassemia major in Great Britain. Prevention of severe congenital disease; Administration of iron-chelating agent desferrioxamine; Termination of pregnancy.

Reports developments related to medicine in Great Britain. Arguments on the abolition of community health councils; Measurement of plasma level of paracetamol; Importance of antenatal assessment for fetal and maternal health.

Presents a survey on the occurrence of neonatal deaths in Northern Ireland. Incidence of congenital malformations; Importance of facilities for antenatal diagnosis and termination of pregnancy; Information on prematurity and idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome.

Examines impact of technological advances on fetal medicine in Great Britain. Importance of antenatal care on reducing mortality; Effectivity of labor induction on pregnant women; Assessment on efficiency of antenatal cardiotocography on giving information on condition of fetus.

Investigates the prenatal diagnosis of hemoglobinopathies in Great Britain. Prevalence of sickle-cell anemia and thalassemia; Chemical analysis of the emoglobin of fetuses; Need for further blood sampling techniques for diagnosis.

Studies the issues concerning antenatal diagnosis in Washington, D.C. Conferences conducted by the National Institutes of Health dealing the issue; Benefit of electronic fetal monitoring on mothers; Recommendations on providing maternity facilities.

Discusses the difficulties in providing prenatal diagnostic service in Great Britain. Facilities for prenatal diagnosis; Importance of prenatal diagnosis; Cost-effectiveness of alpha fetoprotein.

Examines the incidence of antenatal cervical cord damage caused by birth trauma. Evidence of lesion at the cervical segment; Methods used to diagnose the condition of the infant; Reasons for the thickening of the arachnoid mater.

Focuses on the early antenatal diagnosis of small open spina bifida lesions. Reliability on the measurement of fetoprotein in amniotic fluid for the diagnosis of spina bifida; Benefits of careful examination on the morphology of amniotic cells; Case of antenatal diagnosis.

Focuses on the use of ultrasonic examination and alpha-fetoprotein estimation for early antenatal diagnosis of spina bifida in a twin fetus. Ability of ultrasound to facilitate removal of clear amniotic fluid from each sac; Efficacy of the technique in diagnosing spinal lesion; Use in avoiding the termination of a normal twin fetus.

The measurement of palmitic acid in amniotic fluid has been shown to be a rapid means of assessing the lecithin concentration. The level of palmitic acid increases quickly when the fetal lung matures at about 35 weeks' gestation, and the level in amniotic fluid obtained 24 hours or less before delivery clearly distinguishes which infants are likely to develop respiratory distress syndrome and which are mature.

Amniocentesis for chromosome analysis was performed in 1086 pergnant women, 739 of whom had an increased risk of giving birth to a child with chromosome abnormalities. Such abnormalities were found in almost identical proportions among the fetuses with an increased risk (1.2%) and among those with no increased risk (1.4%). Findings in several other studies seem to confirm that there is no significant difference between the risk groups in the proportion of abnormalities found. This suggests that our current risk groups may not be the right ones, but a much larger study is needed to confirm this.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concanavallin-A-affinity molecular variant patterns were determined in amniotic fluid samples from 10 pregnancies complicated by anencephaly (6), spina bifida (1), Turner's syndrome (1), osteogenesis imperfecta congenita (1), and fetal death (1) and 20 normal pregnancies between 14.6 and 25.5 weeks of gestation. With the exception of one anencephalic pregnancy, the AFP concentrations in samples from women with a fetal abnormality were more than 5 SD above normal for gestational age. In every case, however, the proportion of total amniotic fluid AFP that was not reactive with concanavallin A was significantly smaller in the presence of a fetal abnormality (mean 2%) than when the fetus was normal (mean 20%). The results suggest that measuring the amount of concanavallin-A-non-reactive amniotic fluid AFP will be a valuable test for diagnosing fetal abnormality, especially when an increase in total amniotic fluid AFP concentration is equivocal or gestational age is uncertain.