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Hearing loss, the most prevalent human sensory impairment, can be helped when detected early. This article examined 854 IsraeliArab Christian and Muslim women who had hearing impaired children as regards undergoing prenatal invasive examinations, considering pregnancy termination because of deafness. Women with children with non-genetic hearing loss opted more for prenatal invasive tests and pregnancy terminations in both categories. Christian women opted for more invasive prenatal tests and more pregnancy terminations. Muslim genetic and medical personnel sensitive to religious views are needed to offer genetic counselling and promote awareness of treatment options, which will aid the parents in decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the summer of 2022, statutory health insurance in Germany reimburses the costs of using non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), a new technology used in prenatal testing, in 'justified individual cases'. Analysing moments in the long debate on NIPT in Germany through the framework of bioconstitutionalism and with pragmatic lenses helps us to understand how and why this comparatively unique reimbursement decision became a reasonable and moral one. Conflicts and conversations in these moments reveal two competing definitions and visions of human life relating to measures deemed desirable and legitimate to protect that life. Actors articulating a liberal bioconstitutional vision framed NIPT as a biomedical technology that could protect the lives of foetuses and enable women to exercise their right to know without putting their pregnancy at risk. Actors foregrounding a societal bioconstitutional vision framed NIPT as a selective technology and spoke in the name of all those lives that would be affected by the direct and indirect consequences of NIPT. When public health care authorities endorsed NIPT as a biomedical technology to be reimbursed in individual cases, they sought to reconcile elements of both visions. The case of Germany shows that enduring controversies on reproductive technologies can put constraints on what state authorities are allowed to do. It also suggests that moral controversies on reproductive technologies and the salience of private markets of reproductive care might be the two sides of the same coin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Crossed pulmonary arteries (CPA) is an abnormality in which the ostium of the left pulmonary artery is located rightward and the ostium of the right pulmonary artery is leftward. Case report: We diagnosed a fetus with CPA prenatally. In fetal echocardiography, left pulmonary artery was seen to pass beneath the ductus and directing toward the left side and pulmonary artery bifurcation could not be demonstrated at the same plane. Postnatal echocardiography reconfirmed the presence of CPA. Bilateral choanal atresia, genital hypoplasia, hearing loss with facial and external ear asymmetry and psychomotor delay of the newborn led to clinical diagnosis of CHARGE syndrome and was confirmed by gene analysis. Discussion/Conclusion: CPA may be one of the cardiac anomalies in CHARGE syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A commentary on the 2024 article "Reasons and Reproduction: Gene Editing and Genetic Selection," by J. McMahan and J. Savulescu is presented. Topics covered include the authors' aims in their article, how in choosing gene-editing, prospective parents create person-affecting reasons and the moral reasons to prefer gene-editing to embryo selection.

Due to recent news coverage of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) technology, in combination with an increase in political rhetoric around women's reproductive health and choice, I explore how language is used for promotional materials of the top 10 NIPT brands in the U.S. and convey dominant/hegemonic messages of comfort, confidence, and trustworthiness despite concerns about NIPT technology. A reflexive thematic analysis showed patterns of reliance on discourses on motherhood, parenting, and reproduction to advertise products and, conversely, a lack of the "full picture" of prenatal testing on company websites. From these results, we can gather that the potential interpretation of the website language could have more significant implications, like the premature termination of pregnancies, the increased chance of depression, and over-reliance on health information listed on the Internet. Ultimately, the language on NIPT company websites may influence decision-making and reinforce the more "powerful" messages that could potentially harm women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse prenatal diagnoses, regardless of the women's choice of continuing the pregnancy or terminating it, can impact a women's psychological and psychosocial wellbeing. Supportive interventions during this time are important. However, understanding what is deemed useful and best practice is complex and multifaceted. To understand the need for support during this time, the authors undertook a research study where 12 women were interviewed. The women spoke about feeling pressured by time in making a decision regarding their pregnancy option and having limited psychoeducation and support provided. They also spoke about post-traumatic growth in their grief experience. To assist health professionals, the authors have addressed the following areas in the study's findings and discussion sections: the lack of appropriate information delivery skills of the professionals, the need for an assessment of each woman's unique needs, the need for appropriate referrals to be given, and the need for appropriate follow-ups of the women. The SARF (Skills, Assessment, Referral, and Follow-up) model, presented in this article as a synthesis of this research, has the potential to inform the development of clinical services and social work practice to support women's care following adverse prenatal diagnosis. IMPLICATIONS Psychosocial assessments are vital in providing good quality care to women after a poor prenatal diagnosis. The model can provide guidance to ensure that psychosocial assessments and explorations of values are undertaken before referring women to follow-up services. Given social workers' experience in providing psychosocial assessments and their recommendations, social work clinicians should be utilised in health settings to their full scope of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore a noninvasive method for diagnosis of SEA-thalassemia and to investigate whether the regional factors affect the accuracy of this method. The method involved using a public database and bioinformatics software to construct parental haplotypes for proband and predicting fetal genotypes using relative haplotype dosage. We screened and downloaded sequencing data of couples who were both SEA-thalassemia carriers from the China National Genebank public data platform, and matched the sequencing data format with that of the reference panel using Ubuntu system tools. We then used Beagle software to construct parental haplotypes, predicted fetal haplotypes by relative haplotype dosage. Finally, we used Hidden Markov Model and Viterbi algorithm to determine fetal pathogenic haplotypes. All noninvasive fetal genotype diagnosis results were compared with gold standard gap-PCR electrophoresis results. Our method was successful in diagnosing 13 families with SEA-thalassemia carriers. The best diagnostic results were obtained when Southern Chinese Han was used as the reference panel, and 10 families showed full agreement between our noninvasive diagnostic results and the gap-PCR electrophoresis results. The accuracy of our method was higher when using a Chinese Han as the reference panel for haplotype construction in the Southern Chinese Han region as opposed to Beijing Chinese region. The combined use of public databases and relative haplotype dosage for diagnosing SEA-thalassemia is a feasible approach. Our method produces the best noninvasive diagnostic results when the test samples and population reference panel are closely matched in both ethnicity and geography. When constructing parental haplotypes with our method, it is important to consider the effect of region in addition to population background alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Trisomy 4p is a lethal chromosomal disorder, resulting from segmental or full trisomy of the short arm of chromosome 4. Prenatal diagnosis may allow decisions on whether to continue or terminate the pregnancy. Case report: We diagnosed a fetus with partial trisomy 4p after first-trimester ultrasound detection of increased nuchal translucency, allowing the parents the opportunity to terminate the pregnancy. The partial trisomy 4p was inherited from a balanced translocation carried by the father. Discussion/Conclusion: For this family, the risk of unbalanced chromosomal alterations in subsequent pregnancies is increased due to the father's translocation. Appropriate genetic counseling with future prenatal diagnosis through amniocentesis can be offered to the couple. Trisomy 4p can be associated with increased nuchal thickness in the first trimester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital ichthyosis represents a wide spectrum of diseases. This article reviews prenatal testing for ichthyosis. We used pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov to search for 38 types of congenital ichthyosis combined with 17 words related to prenatal testing. Search resulted in 408 publications covering 13 types of ichthyoses and four types of tests. Biochemical testing is diagnostic in trichothiodystrophy, but nonspecific in X-linked ichthyosis and Refsum syndrome. Except in X-linked ichthyosis, biochemical testing requires invasive procedures to obtain fetal skin biopsy, amniocytes, or chorionic villus samples. It is superior to histological and cytological examination of fetal skin biopsy or amniocytes because keratinization occurs later in pregnancy and microscopy cannot differentiate between ichthyosis types. Imaging is more acceptable due to noninvasiveness and routine use, although ultrasonography is operator-dependent, nonspecific, and captures abnormalities at late stage. Molecular tests are described in at-risk pregnancies but testing of free fetal DNA was not described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

46,XX testicular disorder of sexual development (DSD) may present prenatally as a mismatch between phenotype and karyotype. Enlarged nuchal translucency is an abnormal sign of many disorders. We present a first trimester fetus with increased nuchal translucency that was later determined to be a 46,XX testicular DSD. A first-trimester pregnancy ultrasound revealed enlarged nuchal translucency. Chorionic villous sampling documented a 46,XX karyotype. Subsequent ultrasounds identified male external genitalia. FISH analysis documented a SRY gene translocation. At birth, the infant had normal male internal and external genitalia. 46,XX testicular DSD may present in the first trimester with an enlarged nuchal translucency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical imaging in pregnancy (antenatal imaging) is routine. However, the effect of seeing fetal images on the parent–fetal relationship is not well understood, particularly for fathers or partners, or when using advanced imaging technologies. This review aimed to explore how parent experience and prenatal attachment is impacted by antenatal imaging. Database searches were performed between September 2020 and April 2021 Inclusion criteria were English language primary research studies published since 2000, describing or reporting measures of attachment after antenatal imaging in expectant parents. The Pillar Integration Process was used for integrative synthesis. Twenty-three studies were included. Six pillar themes were developed: 1) the scan experience begins before the scan appointment; 2) the scan as a pregnancy ritual; 3) feeling actively involved in the scan; 4) parents' priorities for knowledge and understanding of the scan change during pregnancy; 5) the importance of the parent–sonographer partnership during scanning; and 6) scans help to create a social identity for the unborn baby. Antenatal imaging can enhance prenatal attachment. Parents value working collaboratively with sonographers to be actively involved in the experience. Sonographers can help facilitate attachment by delivering parent-centred care tailored to parents' emotional and knowledge needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pregnant woman living in Fujian Province, southeastern China, presented due to a risk of having a baby with β-thalassemia major, during her second pregnancy, since she and her husband were suspected as β-thalassemia carriers and their affected daughter was a transfusion-dependent patient. Using the common α-thalassemia and β-thalassemia genotypes test, the pregnant woman was diagnosed as a β-thalassemia carrier with βIVS−2 − 654 (C→T)/βN genotype and her daughter had a homozygosity for IVS − 2 − 654 (C→T) mutation, however, no abnormalities were detected in her husband. SMRT identified a Filipino β0-deletion in her husband, and MLPA also revealed an unknown deletion in the HBB gene. Electrophoresis showed approximately 350 bp of the PCR product, and the β-Filipino genotype presented novel fracture fragments ranging from 5,112,884 to 5,231,358 bp, and lacked a 118,475 bp fragment relative to the wild-type sequence. The daughter was therefore diagnosed with the βIVS−2 − 654 (C→T)/βFilipino genotype. Prenatal diagnosis with umbilical cord blood at 27th week of gestation showed heteroztgosity for IVS − 2 − 654 (C→T) mutation in the fetus and continued pregnancy was recommended. In conclusion, we identified the Filipino β0-deletion in a Chinese family, from Fujian area, for the first time, during prenatal screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cockayne syndrome (CS) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by impaired neurological functions, cachectic dwarfism, microcephaly and photosensitivity. Complementation assays identify two groups of this disorder, CS type I (CSA) and CS type II (CSB), caused by mutations in ERCC8 and ERCC6, respectively. This study aimed to investigate the genetic basis of a consanguineous Pakistani family with three affected individuals presenting with typical clinical symptoms of CS. We employed whole exome sequencing of the proband and then Sanger sequenced all the family members to confirm its segregation in the family. Different bioinformatics tools were used to predict pathogenicity of this variant. Variants were filtered according to the pedigree structure. We identified a novel homozygous variant (c.202A>T; p.Ile68Phe) in ERCC8 gene in the proband. The variant was found to segregate in the family. These findings add to the genetic heterogeneity of ERCC8 and expands the mutation spectrum. Also, identification of this variant can facilitate prenatal diagnosis/genetic counselling set ups in Pakistan where this disease largely remains undiagnosed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Haredi (ultraorthodox Jewish) community in Israel presents distinct views on disability and prenatal testing compared to the pro-testing attitudes of the Israeli general public. Based on qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with Haredi parents of children with Down syndrome, this study explores the interplay between their personal experiences and community norms in the creation of views on disability and pregnancy management. The experiences of life with disability carry varied positive and negative aspects, for both secular and religious parents. However, while this variability sometimes led to re-consideration (for better or worse) of views on disability and prenatal testing among secular parents, we demonstrate that parenting a child with disability did not change the views of Haredi parents regarding the futility of prenatal testing and the value of disability. For them, the Haredi model of disability remained the dominant framework through which life is experienced. While the Israeli general public is supportive of tests performed during pregnancy with the aim of selective terminations of pregnancies when anomalies in the fetus are detected, the most religious Jewish (Haredi) community tends to avoid such testing. The study demonstrates the interplay between cultural norms and personal experiences in forming attitudes toward disability. For Haredi parents, life with a child with Down syndrome did not essentially change their positive perceptions of disability and their rejection of testing the fetus in future pregnancies. Haredi parents' critical view of testing during pregnancy reflects their religious perspective, rather than the perspective of people with disabilities and their empowerment. Haredi parents view children with Down syndrome as 'higher souls' sent by God as a test of faith and a mission, thus constructing testing the fetus for Down syndrome as futile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid tumors or predisposition syndromes are increasingly suspected before birth. However optimal management and outcomes remain unclear. We have performed a ten-year retrospective study of oncologic indications of prenatal diagnosis in public hospitals in Marseille. Data were obtained from prenatal diagnosis center and hospital imaging databases and pediatric oncology department files. Fifty-one cases were identified, 40 with mass: adrenal 17, sacrococcygeal 9, cardiac 7, abdominal 4, ovarian 1, cervical 2; 8 with developmental abnormalities (omphalocele 4, macroglossia 4), 3 WITH familial predisposition syndromes (familial rhabdoid 2, Li-Fraumeni 1). Median detection time was 30 week. Termination of pregnancy was decided for 9 fetuses (4 cardiac lesions and suspected tuberous sclerosis, 2 sacrococcygeal tumors, 1 Beckwith–Wiedemann Syndrome, 2 SMARCB1 mutations. Preterm birth occurred in 8 cases. Eleven newborns (26,1%) required intensive care (8 for mechanical complications). Of of 17 adrenal mass ES, 4 disappeared before birth and 5 before one year. Seventeen newborns underwent surgery: 13 masses (teratoma 7, myelomeningocele 2, cystic nephroma 1, neuroblastoma 2), 4 omphaloceles, one biopsy. Surgery performed after one year for incomplete regression identified 1 neuroblastoma, 2 bronchogenic cysts and 2 nonmalignant masses. Three newborns received chemotherapy. Except one patient with BWS who died of obstructive apnea, all children are alive disease free with a median follow-up of 60 months [9–131 months]. Twelve have sequelae. Various solid tumors and cancer predisposition syndromes can be detected before birth. A multidisciplinary collaboration is strongly recommended for optimal management before and after birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing popularity and expansion of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) to screen for rare conditions beyond common trisomies prompts evaluation of pre-test counselling currently offered. We conducted a prospective survey to assess women's knowledge of NIPT in those who had undergone NIPT (study group) and those who were planning to have NIPT (control group). Out of the 189 questionnaires analysed, the study group did not show a higher knowledge score compared to the control group (P = 0.097). 44% misunderstood that NIPT can identify more conditions than invasive testing, 69.8% were unaware of the recommended need for nuchal translucency measurement and 52.6% were unaware of the possibility of incidental findings. 31% even considered discussing termination of pregnancy as one of the next steps if NIPT shows high risk for Down syndrome. This study shows that current pre-test counselling is inadequate. Service providers should address these knowledge gaps and assist women to make informed choices. What is already known on this subject? Pre-test counselling for non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) should be conducted to assist women in making an informed consent. What do the results of this study add? Our results show that a significant proportion of women are unaware of the limitations of NIPT. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Service providers should improve their pre-test counselling focusing on areas of knowledge deficiencies and misunderstanding on NIPT identified in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the clinical utility of chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and whole exome sequencing (WES) in foetuses with oligohydramnios. In this retrospective study, 126 fetuses with oligohydramnios at our centre from 2018 to 2021 were reviewed. The results of CMA and WES were analysed. One hundred and twenty-four cases underwent CMA and 32 cases underwent WES. The detection rate of pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) copy number variant (CNV) by CMA was 1.6% (2/124). WES revealed P/LP variants in 21.8% (7/32) of the foetuses. Six (85.7%, 6/7) foetuses showed an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. Three (42.9%, 3/7) variants were involved in the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS), which are the known genetic causes of autosomal recessive renal tubular dysgenesis (ARRTD). CMA has low diagnostic utility for oligohydramnios, while WES offers obvious advantages in improving the detection rate. WES should be recommended for fetuses with oligohydramnios. CMA has low diagnostic utility for oligohydramnios. WES offers obvious advantages for improving the detection over CMA, which improves pregnancy management, prenatal counselling and recurrence risk assessment for future pregnancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at three televised examples of pregnant women grappling with prenatal testing. In these stories, prenatal testing for disability is increasingly being framed as a requirement of responsible motherhood, and termination of pregnancies with diagnoses of disability shown as the logical choice. Disability is frequently depicted to be an anxiety-inducing or disappointing outcome. Previous research has shown televised depictions of pregnancy to be influential; the narratives illustrated here reinforce the discourse that disability is a burden for potential parents and entrench the view that fetal value is defined by "health," which is constructed in binary opposition with disability. Ultimately, these media depictions can have far-reaching effects in terms of pregnant people's feelings about the need to use prenatal testing, their diagnoses, and their decisions regarding both testing and termination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative, ableist discourse challenging the rights of people with Down syndrome to receive support services and even to be born regularly arise on social media. This disability community has retaliated against such hate speech with resistance narratives that promote the value of people with Down syndrome, with few other recourses available. This article explores online free speech versus ableism in Australia through a major case study of 60 Minutes Australia Facebook discussions. Analysis identifies types of ableism expressed, types of harm caused and dimensions of grassroots responses. Using Timothy Garton Ash's 2016 work Free Speech as a basis for contemporary analysis, we discuss: to what extent should harmful and offensive comments directed at vulnerable populations be tolerated in the name of free speech; might negative, ableist discourse contribute to any social good; and what mechanisms beyond grassroots resistance narratives might effectively respond to harmful, online ableist discourses. The article looks at whether the right to free speech is more important than the harmful effects of online hate speech towards people with Down syndrome. We use the ideas in a book on Free Speech by Timothy Garton Ash to think about whether online hate speech should be allowed or silenced. Our analysis is based on a case study of Facebook discussion threads from a 60 Minutes Australia television segment. People in the disability community speaking up to create resistance narratives is the main way that online disability hate speech is challenged. Other ways that could help are laws, government agencies providing support materials, and social media rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disability ground in the law can be thought to send a negative message about disabled people on the basis that disability is singled out as a reason for abortion, and also that abortion for this reason is allowed until birth. Footnotes 1 Many of the presentations from this conference are available to view here: 'Prenatal Testing, Disability, and the Ethical Society: Reflections Following I Crowter i ' at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCn48d2ExkzLBXad30RfiIdeGMEI7covI 2 I R (Crowter) v Secretary of State for Health and Social Care i [2022] 1 WLR 2513. Both Heidi Crowter and Aidan Lea-Wilson have Down syndrome, although the issues raised in the case, and in the conference, relate to disability more broadly. This special issue of I The New Bioethics i follows on from a conference that took place at St Stephen's House, University of Oxford, in March 2022, on 'Prenatal Testing, Disability, and the Ethical Society: Reflections Following I Crowter i '.[1] The conference title refers to an important decision from the High Court, I R (Crowter) v Secretary of State for Health and Social Care i .[2] In this case, the claimants challenged the law on abortion on the grounds of disability under the Abortion Act 1967, and their arguments raised a number of difficult ethical questions about prenatal testing, disability, and what kind of society we wish to have - and what is needed for it to be an "ethical society". [Extracted from the article]

This article will review reasons why it is argued that the law on abortion on the grounds of disability is discriminatory, as well as recent unsuccessful attempts to address this discrimination in the law. These attempts include ones which would have moderately restricted access to abortion in certain limited cases, and another that might have opened to door to a number of different possibilities, including both to options that could have restricted access to abortion, and to other options that might have increased access. Finally, this article will also examine reasons why some of the most important challenges surrounding disability equality cannot be sufficiently addressed through legal change alone. While there are strong reasons to support some form of change in the law, a more foundational change in values is necessary if we want to live in a more ethical society that is truly capable of welcoming disabled children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the current parenting culture, particularly the promotion of competitive and excessive parenting, as an important background issue against which the debates around pre-natal testing take place. It offers an alternative vision of parenting, relying on care ethics, which sees parenting as a relationship, rather than a job. A relationship that should change a parent's understanding of what is valuable in life. Parenting should not be about moulding the 'perfect child' but being open to being profoundly changed. The parent–child with a disability relationship offers particular opportunities to find new meanings and values in life. This analysis is offered as another dimension to the debates over pre-natal testing. It is not intended as an argument against such testing, but rather raises concerns about some of the broader attitudes around it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Down syndrome (Trisomy 21) is a mild to moderate intellectual disability. Historically, this condition has been a primary target for prenatal testing. However, Down syndrome has not been targeted for prenatal testing because it is an especially severe illness. The condition was just one that could be easily identified prenatally using the techniques first available decades ago. We are moving into an era in which we can prenatally test for a vast range of human traits. I argue that when we can test for anything, there is no longer any reason to continue targeting Down syndrome. I present an argument based on the value of nondiscrimination. It is justified to set limits on access to prenatal information if the information is going to be used for discriminatory purposes. I use the examples of (1) prenatal testing for misogynistic fetal sex selection, and (2) homophobia-motivated prenatal testing for potential homosexuality, as compelling analogies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In cases of intrauterine fetal death (IUFD), autopsy and placenta pathology can provide additional information to sonographic findings. We assessed the frequency of prenatally missed relevant diagnoses. Materials and methods: A retrospective evaluation of fetal autopsies from 2006 to 2021 was performed and were classified as: i) agreement, ii) cases where autopsy revealed additional findings, or iii) postmortem findings which changed the diagnosis. Results: A total of 199/251 spontaneous IUFD and 52/251 induced abortions were included. In spontaneous IUFD, placenta pathologies were the leading cause of death (89%). Full agreement was found in most cases (91% and 87% in spontaneous IUFD and induced abortion, respectively), while additional findings (7% and 12%) and major discrepancies (each 2%) were detected less frequently. Conclusion: In some cases where major findings were missed, autopsy could establish a diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: VACTERL association consists of Vertebral, Anorectal, Cardiac, Tracheo-Esophageal, Renal, and Limb defects. The diagnosis depends on the presence of at least three of these structural abnormalities. Methods: The clinical presentation and diagnostic prenatal imaging of VACTERL association are comprehensively reviewed. Results: The most common feature is a vertebral anomaly, found in 60–80% of cases. Tracheo-esophageal fistula is seen in 50–80% of cases and renal malformations in 30% of patients. Limb defects including thumb aplasia/hypoplasia, polydactyly, and radial agenesis/hypoplasia are present in 40–50% of cases. Anorectal defects, like imperforate anus/anal atresia, are challenging to detect prenatally. Conclusion: The diagnosis of VACTERL association mostly relies on imaging techniques such as ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance. Differential diagnosis should exclude similar diseases such as CHARGE and Townes-Brocks syndromes and Fanconi anemia. New insights into genetic etiology have led to recommendations of chromosomal breakage investigation for optimal diagnosis and counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) in maternal blood and the rapid development of massively parallel sequencing have revolutionized prenatal testing from invasive to noninvasive. Noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) based on cffDNA enables the detection of fetal trisomy through sequencing, comparison, and bioassays. Its accuracy is better than that of traditional screening methods, and it is the most advanced clinical application of high-throughput sequencing technologies. However, the existing sequencing methods are limited by high costs and complex sequencing procedures. These limitations restrict the availability of NIPS for pregnant women. Many amplification methods have been developed to overcome the limitations of sequencing methods. The rapid development of non-sequencing methods has not been accompanied by reviews to summarize them. In this review, we initially describe the detection principles for sequencing-based NIPS. We summarize the rapidly evolving amplification technologies, focusing on the need to reduce costs and simplify the procedures. To ensure that the testing systems are feasible and that the testing processes are reliable, we expand our vision to the clinic. We evaluate the clinical validity of NIPS in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value. Finally, we summarize the application guidelines and discuss the corresponding quality control methods for NIPS. In addition to cffDNA, extracellular vesicle DNA, RNA, protein/peptide, and fetal cells can also be detected as biomarkers of NIPS. With the development of prenatal testing, NIPS has become increasingly important. Notably, NIPS is a screening test instead of a diagnostic test. The testing methods and procedures used in the NIPS process require standardization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Noncompaction of ventricular myocardium is a cardiomyopathy that typically involves the left ventricle or both ventricles; it has often been associated with mutations in genes encoding sarcomere proteins. Little is known about isolated right ventricular noncompaction, as only a few cases have been reported. Case Report: A 30 year old G2P1 woman experienced a spontaneous fetal loss at 19 weeks and 4 days. An ultrasound examination at 19 weeks showed right ventricular and tricuspid valve abnormalities, ascites, and early hydrops. At autopsy, the right ventricular chamber was dilated with numerous prominent trabeculations and deep intrabecular recesses as well as a dysplastic tricuspid valve. Histologic examination confirmed isolated right ventricular noncompaction. Whole exome sequencing showed a likely pathogenic variant in the MYH7 gene. Conclusions: This appears to be the first report of isolated right ventricular noncompaction associated with a gene mutation as well as the first diagnosis in a fetus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare the prenatal ultrasonography (US) and the autopsy findings of the fetuses of 12–24th gestational weeks. Methods: This retrospective study comprises 84 fetuses autopsied. The correlation between US and autopsy findings was classified into four categories: (A) Compatible, (B) Minor findings added, (C) Major findings added, and (D) Incompatible. Results: Malformations were the most common medical termination indication. The most frequent findings at autopsy were multiple system findings followed by central nervous system. Prenatal US and autopsy findings were completely compatible in 48 fetuses (57.1%), while additional minor and major autopsy findings were found in 26 (31.0%) and 4 (4.8%), respectively. Autopsy and US findings were incompatible in 6 fetuses (7.1%). Conclusion: Prenatal ultrasound and fetal autopsy are complementary tools to obtain detailed and complete diagnosis of fetal anomalies and fetal autopsy is still a valuable tool to obtain further diagnostic information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fetus-in-fetu (FIF) features a monozygotic, diamniotic, parasitic twin enclosed within its host twin. Case report: An 11-month baby girl presented with an antenatal diagnosis of a retroperitoneal mass. Radiological findings suggested it to be a teratoma. The mass was excised in-toto, histological findings were consistent with fetus-in-fetu. Conclusions: FIF may not have identifiable vertebral bodies and limbs upon imaging. Organized organ systems help differentiate this from a teratoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thalassemia is a genetic disease that seriously affects the health of the fetus. At present, invasive prenatal diagnosis is the main method of thalassemia screening, but invasive prenatal diagnosis has the risk of fetal abortion. The discovery of cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) in the peripheral blood of pregnant women provides the possibility for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD). Rapid and efficient capture of mutational information on cffDNA in maternal plasma can help prevent the birth of children with thalassemia major. Currently, strategies for cffDNA-based NIPD of thalassemia include the detection of paternal mutations in maternal plasma, detection of a proportion of wild and mutant alleles in maternal plasma, linkage disequilibrium single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) based on pedigree probands, and prediction of fetal genotypes by bioinformatics combined with population information. Therefore, this paper will focus on the above aspects, in order to provide an essential reference to the prevention and treatment of thalassemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating expectant mothers' pregnancy in Taiwan, this paper examines prenatal ultrasound as an ongoing invention of its users in general and pregnant women in particular. Instead of being passive consumers, pregnant women actively invent and reconfigure prenatal ultrasound using flexible interpretation and strategic reinscription. There is an inevitably ambivalent technological experience of prenatal ultrasound across cultures. Whereas pregnant women are pleased and reassured to see their babies 'on the screen,' my analysis shows that, prenatal ultrasound as a passive diagnostic tool that cannot offer active treatment, and the fact that prenatal ultrasound helps to make up morality surrounding pregnancy, constitutes the main source of mothers-to-be's negative technological experiences of prenatal ultrasound. Whereas prenatal ultrasound has been regarded as an indispensable and authoritative method of keeping users informed, adopting a hybrid approach, pregnant women still actively refer to local knowledge to understand their pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Adams-Oliver syndrome is a congenital disease whose main findings are aplasia cutis congenita of the scalp and terminal transverse limb defects. The pathogenesis is unknown, but it is postulated that ischemic events in susceptible tissues cause the lesions in the embryonic period. Case report. We present a newborn with a severe phenotype of Adams-Oliver syndrome. The infant's mother had a SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first trimester of pregnancy. Prenatal ultrasound indicates a probable worsening of the disease after the first trimester. Conclusion. This study shows a previously unpublished severe AOS phenotype in a term newborn. There are some signs that the disease could have progressed beyond the first trimester, either spontaneously or by the inflammatory mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the relationship between maternal gestational weight gain (GWG) and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)-negative pregnant women. We did a retrospective cohort study between 1 July 2017, and 1 January 2020, at Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Firstly, pregnant women were divided into subgroups according to the entire GWG (inadequate GWG, adequate GWG, and excessive GWG) and GDM status (positive and negative) during pregnancy. Secondly, the whole population of pregnant women with GDM was used as a reference to evaluate the relationship between GWG and adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM-negative pregnant women. Lastly, subgroup analysis was conducted based on pre-pregnancy body mass index (pp-BMI). A total of 30,910 pregnant women were analysed. Included pregnancy women were divided into three groups based on GWG: 7569 (24.49%) pregnancy women had inadequate GWG, 13088 (42.34%) had adequate GWG, and 10,253 (33.17%) had excessive GWG. In addition to preterm birth and small for gestational age (SGA), the incidence of macrosomia and large for gestational age (LGA) continues to increase from inadequate GWG to excessive GWG groups. Pregnant women without GDM who have excessive GWG are at higher risk of macrosomia and LGA than pregnant women with GDM. Moreover, this risk increased with increasing pp-BMI. Pregnant women without GDM with inadequate GWG were at risk of preterm birth regardless of pp-BMI. Only those with inadequate GWG and pp-BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 had an increased risk of SGA. In conclusion, inappropriate GWG is strongly associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, even if they do not have GDM. Therefore, this population should receive attention and management before and during pregnancy. What is already known on this subject? Several studies have focused on the GDM population and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, but few have focused on GDM-negative populations. This is because GDM-negative women are perceived to be "safe," leading to less focus on themselves, which can lead to subsequent excessive weight gain during pregnancy. Whether this factor increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in this population remains unknown. What do the results of this study add? Our study found an inverse relationship between GWG and GDM. Therefore, our study focuses on this group of GDM-negative pregnant women. Their excessive weight gain increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, even higher than GDM pregnant women. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? GWG is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, pregnant women without GDM also need increased attention and management of their weight before and during pregnancy. Prenatal care providers can utilise tools such as diet, exercise counselling, weight tracking, and setting weight gain goals to reduce inappropriate weight gain and mitigate its adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has been widely adopted as an approach for foetal aneuploidy screening. This study was to evaluate the performance of NIPT for foetal T21 detection in subgroups of pregnancies and the correlation between Z-score and discordant positive predictive values (PPVs). We retrospectively reviewed the NIPT results among 22361 pregnancies undergoing combined second-trimester screening (cSTS) previously. Sixty-four cases with positive NIPT results for foetal T21 were validated by invasive prenatal diagnosis. In pregnancies with cSTS-T21 low-, intermediate-, and high-risk, the PPVs at NIPT were 14.3%, 64.3%, and 86.4%, respectively. Mean Z-scores of positive NIPT cases with cSTS-T21 high- and intermediate-risk were comparable, while were higher than that of cases with pre-test low-risk. Furthermore, PPVs for positive NIPT cases at 3 < Z < 5, 5 ≤ Z < 9, and Z ≥ 9 were 16.7%, 63.2%, and 100.0%, respectively. This study suggested that Z-score value of positive cases might be associated with discordant PPVs for T21 screening in subgroups of pregnancies. Non-invasive prenatal testing has been offered as a primary screening option to high-risk or general pregnancy. However, the accuracy of non-invasive prenatal testing in patients with various pre-test risks remained unveiled. The current study revealed that the true positive probability for foetal trisomy 21 screening in pregnancies with prior high-risk was higher than that in pregnancies of intermediate-risk, and both of them were much higher than that of those with pre-test low-risk. The average of Z-score for chromosome 21 of positive non-invasive prenatal testing case in high-risk group was comparable with that of intermediate-risk group, while was higher than that of low-risk group. There was also an upward trend for the true positive probability of foetal trisomy 21 screening with the increase of Z-score. Our study revealed that pre-test risk and Z-score for chromosome 21 were helpful for accurately interpreting the reliability of positive results for foetal trisomy 21. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the value of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in the prenatal screening of foetal aneuploidy-associated diseases at different gestational ages. Briefly, cell-free foetal DNAs were extracted from plasma first, followed by DNA sequencing and bioinformatics analyses for chromosome aneuploidy (T21, T18, and T13), sex chromosome aneuploidy (SCA), and microdeletion/microduplication. Subsequently, the positive results were subject to karyotype analyses. The pregnant women included in this study were divided into six groups, and the results, such as chromosome diagnoses, and clinical phenotypes, were collected for data analyses. According to the results of the data analysis, the positivity rates of foetal chromosomal abnormalities in pregnant women under 20, 20–24, 25–29, 30–34, 35–39, and >40 years old were 0%, 0.17%, 0.25%, 0.27%, 0.60%, and 1.66%, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) in the 20–24 years group was 41.67%, that in the 25–29 years group was 62.5%, that in the 30–34 years group was 66.67%, that in the 35–39 years group was 90.74%, and that in the >40 years group was 90.32%. Overall, NIPT detection in elderly pregnant women has excellent clinical application value in reducing the incidence of either birth defects or abortion caused by invasive chromosome examination. It is critical to diagnose foetal chromosome aneuploidy in time through prenatal screening to prevent birth defects. This study aimed to evaluate the value of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in prenatal screening of foetal aneuploidy-associated diseases at different gestational ages. A retrospective analysis based on NIPT screening data at a medical laboratory was performed. The results showed that the total positivity rate and total positive predictive value of trisomy 21, trisomy 18, and trisomy 13 in older pregnant women (≥35 years old) were significantly higher than those in younger pregnant women, and there was an increasing trend with increasing maternal ages. This study indicated that NIPT detection in elderly pregnant women has an excellent application value in clinical practice to reduce the incidence of birth defects and abortion caused by invasive chromosome examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

15q11.2 microdeletion can lead to syndromes affecting the nervous system. However, 15q11.2 microdeletion has large phenotypic differences and incomplete penetrance, which brings challenges to prenatal diagnosis. We reported 21 cases of 15q11.2 microdeletion fetuses in Eastern China and reviewed literature on the prenatal clinical characteristics related to the deletion variants to provide a basis for prenatal genetic counseling. The clinical data of 21 cases of 15q11.2 microdeletion fetuses collected from June 2018 to September 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, and chromosomal microarray analysis was performed. The reported prenatal clinical features of 15q11.2 microdeletion fetuses were reviewed and summarized. A meta-analysis of 20 studies was performed to test heterogeneity, data integration, and sensitivity on the correlation between 15q11.2 microdeletion and neuropsychiatric diseases. The median age of the women was 29.5 years. The median gestational age at interventional examination was 24 weeks. All fetuses showed deletion variants of the 15q11.2 fragment, and the median deletion range was approximately 0.48 MB. Ultrasound of five cases showed no abnormalities; however, four of them showed a high risk of Down's syndrome (risk values were 1/184, 1/128, 1/47, and 1/54, respectively). The remaining 16 fetuses showed congenital heart disease (7/16), elevated nuchal translucency (5/16), abnormal brain structure (2/16) and renal disease (2/16). In a literature review of 82 prenatal cases, 44% (36/82) had abnormal ultrasound features, 31% (11/36) showed abnormal nuchal translucency, approximately 28% (10/36) showed abnormal cardiac structure, and 14% (5/36) had brain structural abnormalities. The meta-analysis revealed that the frequency of the 15q11.2 microdeletion mutation in patients with schizophrenia and epilepsy was significantly higher (odds ratio 2.04, 95% confidence interval: 1.78–2.33, p < 0.00001; odds ratio 5.23, 95% confidence interval: 2.83–9.67, p < 0.00001) than that in normal individuals. More than half of the 15q11.2 microdeletion cases presented no abnormalities in prenatal ultrasound examination. The cases with ultrasound features mainly showed isolated malformations such as elevated nuchal translucency, congenital heart disease, and brain structural abnormalities. Postpartum 15q11.2 microdeletion patients are at an increased risk of suffering from schizophrenia, epilepsy, and other neurological and mental diseases from 15q11.2 microdeletion. Therefore, prenatal diagnosis of 15q11.2 microdeletion not only depends on molecular diagnostic techniques but also requires cautious genetic counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To present a novel 91.5-kb deletion of the α-globin gene cluster (αα)FJ identified by genetic assay and prenatal diagnosis in a Chinese family. The proband was a 34-year-old G3P1 (Gravida 3, Para 1) female at the gestational age of 21+ weeks with a history of an edematous fetus. A routine genetic assay (reverse dot blot hybridization, RDB) was performed to detect common thalassemia mutations. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and single-molecule real-time technology (SMRT) were used to detect rare thalassemia mutations. The hematological phenotypes of the proband, her mother, elder sister, husband, daughter, and nephew were consistent with the phenotype of α-thalassemia trait. No mutations were found in these family members by RDB, except for the proband's husband who carried an α-globin gene deletion --SEA/αα. MLPA results showed that the proband and other α-thalassemia-suspected relatives had heterozygous deletions around the POLR3K-3-463nt, HS40-178nt, and HBA-HS40-382nt probes. The 5′-breakpoint was out of probe scope and could not be determined. SMRT was performed and a 91.5-kb deletion (NC_000016.10: g.39268_130758del) in the α-globin gene cluster (αα)FJ was identified in the proband and other suspected relatives, which could explain their phenotypes. At the proband's gestational age of 22+ weeks, an amniotic fluid sample was collected and analyzed. As only the 91.5-kb deletion (αα)FJ was identified in the fetus with RDB, MLPA, and SMRT. The proband was suggested to continue the pregnancy. We first reported a 91.5-kb deletion (NC_000016.10: g.hg38-chr16:39268-_130758del) of the HS-40 region in the α-globin gene cluster (αα)FJ identified in a Chinese family. Since the HS-40 loss of heterozygosity in combination with the heterozygous deletion --SEA might result in Hb Bart's hydrops fetalis, routine genetic assay, and SMRT were recommended to individuals at risk for prenatal diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Biallelic pathogenic variants in TOE1 cause pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 7 (PCH7), a rare neurological condition characterized by psychomotor retardation, spastic paraplegia, seizures, gonadal abnormalities and brain anomalies. Currently, only 14 postnatally diagnosed PCH7 patients have been described. However, the prenatal clinical profile of PCH7 has not yet been reported. Method: Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed to screen for causal variants. Results: We report the pedigree of a Chinese woman with two eventful pregnancies with fetuses that showed brain anomalies, including microcephaly, cerebral anomalies, enlarged ventricles, corpus callosum thinning, abnormal lateral fissure, underdeveloped insula and pons and brainstem hypoplasia. Interestingly, corpus callosum thinning was observed in fetus 1 but not in fetus 2. An abnormal lateral fissure and an underdeveloped insula were shown in fetus 2 but not fetus 1. Biallelic variants c.716T > C (p.Phe239Ser) and c.955C > T (p.His319Tyr) in TOE1 were identified in both fetuses. Conclusion: We first describe the prenatal features of a Chinese pedigree with PCH7 caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in TOE1, with phenotypic variability observed even within the same family. Novel phenotypes, an abnormal lateral fissure and an underdeveloped insula were observed in the fetus in our study. These findings will enrich our knowledge of the clinical characteristics, management and genetic counseling of PCH7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have previously described gestational-age-independent sonographic indices to assess fetal lung size in the right and left lungs: The Quantitative Lung Index for the right lung (QLI-R) and for the left lung (QLI-L), respectively. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical cutoff point of the QLI-R to predict pulmonary hypoplasia and neonatal death. Retrospective assessment of the QLI-R in patients with left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH-L) and other fetal conditions at risk for fetal pulmonary hypoplasia. Cross-section and longitudinal assessment of the behavior of the QLI-R in untreated and treated patients. ROC curve analysis to determine the optimal cutoff point of the QLI-R in predicting neonatal death. One hundred eighteen patients with CDH-L and other fetal conditions at risk for pulmonary hypoplasia had QLI-R measurements done. Seventeen patients were excluded for various reasons. Eleven patients with conditions other than CDH-L but at risk for pulmonary hypoplasia were used for intraclass coefficient measurements of the QLI-R. Ninety patients had CDH-L, of which 78 did not undergo antenatal intervention and in which the cutoff point for pulmonary hypoplasia and neonatal demise was assessed. Stent tracheal occlusion was performed in the remaining 12 patients with CDH-L, in which the behavior of the QLI after surgery was assessed. Analysis of the ICC showed an overall intra-rater reliability of 0.985 (Cronbach's Alpha-based). There was no correlation between gestational age and QLI-R (-0.73, Pearson correlation, p =.72). Twenty-six of the 78 patients (33%) with CDH-L managed expectantly had a neonatal demise. A QLI-R equal to or less than 0.45 was significantly predictive of neonatal demise (area under the curve 0.64, p =.046, sensitivity 77%). Nine of the 12 patients (75%) that underwent tracheal occlusion had neonatal survival. Of these, 10 had serial assessments of the QLI-R after surgery. An increase in the QLI-R of 0.11 was associated with a tendency for neonatal survival (p =.056). Our study confirms that the QLI-R is a gestational-age-independent measurement of fetal lung size, with a high degree of reproducibility. In a population of expectantly managed CDH-L patients, a cutoff value of the QLI-R of 0.45 or lower is predictive of neonatal death from pulmonary hypoplasia. The QLI-R can be used to monitor fetal lung growth after tracheal occlusion, and an increase in the QLI-R is suggestive of neonatal survival. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and to explore the use of the QLI in other populations at risk for pulmonary hypoplasia and consequent neonatal demise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the positive predictive value (PPV) in noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT)-positive cases and analyze the effect of the Z-score intervals on PPV performance. In this retrospective study, 26,667 pregnant women underwent NIPT from November 2014 to August 2022, of which 169 were NIPT-positive cases. NIPT-positive cases were divided into three groups according to the Z-score: 3 ≤ Z < 6, 6 ≤ Z < 10, and Z ≥ 10. The PPVs of NIPT were 91.26% (94/103) for trisomy (T) 21, 80.65% (25/31) for T18, and 36.84% (7/19) for T13. The PPVs for the 3 ≤ Z < 6, 6 ≤ Z < 10, and Z ≥ 10 groups were 50%, 84.62%, and 87.95%, respectively. A higher PPV was found in the NIPT results when the Z-score was larger, with significant differences. The PPVs for T21/T18/T13 were 71.43%/42.86%/25% for 3 ≤ Z < 6, 90.32%/85.71%/57.14% for 6 ≤ Z < 10, and 93.85%/100%/25% for Z ≥ 10. For T21, T18, and T13, the correlations between the Z-score and fetal fraction concentration in true positives were r = 0.85, r = 0.59, and r = 0.71 (all p <.001), respectively. Z-score is associated with the PPV performance of NIPT in fetal T13, T18, and T21. The possibility of false positives caused by placental chimerism should be considered when determining whether high Z-values lead to high PPVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prenatal ultrasound has been regularly used as the screening tool for agenesis of corpus callosum (ACC) of the fetuses, which were mainly suspected on the basis of indirect signs rather than the visualization of the CC. However, the diagnostic accuracy of prenatal ultrasound for ACC, compared to the gold standard of postmortem diagnosis or postnatal images, is still unknown. This meta-analysis was performed to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy of prenatal ultrasound for the diagnosis of ACC. Studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of prenatal ultrasound for ACC compared to postmortem diagnosis or postnatal images were retrieved by searching PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were calculated with a random-effects model. The diagnostic accuracy was measured by summarized area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) curve. Twelve studies involving 544 fetuses with suspected anomalies of central nervous system were included, and 143 of them were with validated diagnosis of ACC. Pooled results showed that prenatal ultrasound has satisfying diagnostic efficacy for ACC, with the pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios of 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.39–0.91), 0.98 (95% CI: 0.79–1.00), 43.73 (95% CI: 3.42–558.74, and 0.29 (95% CI: 0.11–0.74), respectively. The pooled AUC was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.92–0.96), suggesting good diagnostic performance of prenatal ultrasound. Subgroup analysis according to the prenatal ultrasound procedures showed a better diagnostic efficacy of neurosonography than that of regular ultrasound screening (sensitivity: 0.84 versus 0.57, specificity: 0.98 versus 0.89, and AUC: 0.97 versus 0.78). Prenatal ultrasound, particularly for the neurosonography, confers satisfying efficacy for the diagnosis of ACC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital CMV infection (cCMV) is the most common congenital infection with 10–15% of cases developing symptomatic disease. Early antiviral treatment is of essence when symptomatic disease is suspected. Recently, the use of neonatal imaging has been implicated as a prognostic tool for long term sequalae among asymptomatic newborns at high risk. Even though neonatal MRI is commonly used in neonatal symptomatic cCMV disease, it is less often used in asymptomatic newborns, mainly due to cost, access and difficulty to perform. We have therefore developed an interest in assessing the use of fetal imaging as an alternative. Our primary aim was to compare the fetal and neonatal MRIs in a small cohort 10 asymptomatic neonates with congenital CMV infection. We performed a single-center retrospective cohort study (case-series) on a convenience sample of children born from January 2014 to March 2021 with confirmed congenital CMV infection who had undergone both fetal and neonatal MRIs. We created a checklist of relevant cerebral abnormalities and asked 4 blinded radiologists to assess the MRIs (2 for each, namely fetal and neonatal) and then compared the findings between the fetal and neonatal imaging as well as the concordance in reporting of abnormalities within each category. Overall concordance between prenatal and postnatal scans was high (70%). When comparing the two blinded reports for each MRI, we found high levels of concordance: 90% concordance for fetal MRIs and 100% for neonatal MRIs. The most common abnormalities identified in both fetal and neonatal scans were "abnormal white matter hyperintensity" and "subependymal cysts." Even though this is a small descriptive study, it indicates that fetal MRI could potentially provide us with similar information as neonatal imaging. This study could form the basis for subsequent larger future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapeutic regimens for the treatment of toxoplasmosis are not standardized. Treatment strategy mainly at the end of the second and the beginning of the third trimester, especially in cases of negative prenatal diagnosis, is the least uniform. In some situations, the choice of treatment may be ambiguous, and adverse drug reactions of the therapy should be taken into consideration. Adverse drug reactions of anti-toxoplasma therapy with spiramycin (n = 77) versus pyrimethamine/sulfadiazine (n = 35) were compared in 112 pregnant women. Up to 36.6% of women reported adverse reactions to the treatment overall (n = 41). Out of those 38.9% (n = 30) were treated with spiramycin and 31.4% (n = 11) with pyrimethamine/sulfadiazine. Toxic allergic reactions were the only indication for discontinuation of treatment in 8.9% of patients (n = 10), where 9.1% (n = 7) were reported in spiramycin and 8.6% (n = 3) in pyrimethamine/sulfadiazine cohort. Neurotoxic complications (acral paraesthesia) were significantly more frequent during the therapy with spiramycine in 19.5% (n = 15) compared to no cases in pyrimethamine/sulfadiazine group (p =.003). Other adverse drug reactions, such as gastrointestinal discomfort, nephrotoxicity, vaginal discomfort were reported, but the differences between the cohorts were not significant. The superiority of one of the therapeutic regimens was not statistically demonstrated, since the differences in overall toxicity or incidence of toxic allergic reactions between the cohorts were not confirmed (p =.53 and p = 1.00, respectively). However, although the isolated neurotoxicity of spiramycin was the only significant adverse reaction demonstrated in this study, pyrimethamine/sulfadiazine therapy should be preferred, because it is known to be more effective and with limited adverse reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-rib thoracic dysplasia 3 with or without polydactyly (OMIM # 613091) represents a clinical spectrum encompassing a heterogeneous group of skeletal dysplasias associated with homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations of DYNC2H1. We describe the case of a couple with two consecutive therapeutic abortions due to a diagnosis of short-rib thoracic dysplasia mutations. In the first pregnancy, the diagnosis has been made at 21 weeks. In the second one, an accurate and early ultrasound examination allowed a diagnosis at 12 weeks. DYNC2H1 mutations were confirmed in both cases. In this report, we underline the importance of an ultrasound evaluation at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy in the detection of early signs of skeletal dysplasias. An early prenatal diagnosis of a short-rib skeletal dysplasia, such as for other severe skeletal dysplasias, is critical to offer a couple the chance of a weighted, informed, and less traumatic decision about the continuation of the pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to analyze prenatal diagnosis, perinatal outcomes, and postnatal follow-up in fetuses with ectopia cordis (EC). This retrospective analysis accessed 31 patients with EC who were either diagnosed or referred to a tertiary Fetal Medicine centers for EC diagnosis in Brazil, Germany, Italy, and Poland. We analyzed prenatal diagnosis, perinatal outcomes, and follow-up in these patients. Our study included a cohort of 31 fetuses with EC, 4 and 27 of whom had partial and complete protrusion of the heart through a ventral defect in the thoracoabdominal wall, respectively. EC was diagnosed by fetal echocardiography at a mean gestational age of 20.3 ± 8.6 weeks (range, 8–35 weeks). Of the four cases, in which the karyotype was performed, all of them had a normal result (1 – 46,XX and 3 – 46,XY). Five patients showed conotruncal abnormalities and six ventricular septal defects. Termination of pregnancy (TOP) was performed in 15 cases (48%) and seven pregnant women had spontaneous fetal demise (22.5%). Of the seven fetuses that were born alive, four of them died, and three infants underwent surgery. Among these three infants, all of them survived, one was 5 months, 13 years old and 29 years old at the time of study completion. Ectopia cordis is associated with high mortality rates and intracardiac/extra-cardiac defects. Ventricular septal defects and conotruncal anomalies were the more common intracardiac defects associated with EC. However, in this cohort of fetuses with EC the incidence of PC was lower than reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolated coronary artery fistula (CAF) is a rare entity in which evidence for both prognosis and need for perinatal treatment is lacking. We aim to evaluate the characteristics, evolution and perinatal outcomes of reported cases, including one from our center. We performed a systematic review in Medline, Pubmed, and Embase databases for cohort studies or case series related to prenatally diagnosed isolated congenital CAF according to PRISMA guidelines. The search was restricted to articles published until January 2022, including a case report from our center. A descriptive analysis was performed, and perinatal characteristics were dichotomized by outcome (development of symptoms, as well as the need for surgery during the neonatal period). Strength of association between prenatal variables and outcome was evaluated through Odds Ratio. Only 27 cases of prenatal diagnosis of isolated CAF have been published, including our patient. Most had their origin in the right coronary artery (63%) and drained in the right ventricle (55.6%). Most cases (72%) developed progressive intrauterine dilation of the fistulous tract, which was usually associated with symptoms of cardiac overload, such as cardiomegaly (57.7%). Up to two-thirds of prenatally diagnosed patients developed heart failure symptoms in the neonatal period, and 84% required postnatal intervention. Prenatal diagnosis of both cardiomegaly and diastolic steal is associated with an OR of 52 and 41 of developing postnatal symptoms. Prenatal diagnosis of isolated CAF can be achieved with adequate tools and trained sonographers. The development of cardiomegaly and diastolic steal significantly increases the risk of developing postnatal symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the prenatal diagnostic value of chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) in fetuses with isolated or non-isolated umbilical cord cysts (UCCs) of various locations and numbers. Between November 2015 and November 2021, 45 pregnant women carrying fetuses with UCCs underwent amniocentesis and CMA. Fetal prognoses were followed from 6 months to 5 years. Five cases (11.1%, 5/45) of chromosomal aberrations were detected. No significant difference in total chromosome abnormalities was found between fetuses with isolated and non-isolated UCCs (13.3% [2/15] vs 10% [3/30]; p >.999). No common autosomal aneuploidies were found in fetuses with isolated UCCs. At follow-up, among 45 fetuses, there were 11 (24.4%) pregnancy terminations, 26 (57.8%) live healthy births, 4 (8.9%) postnatal UCC-related surgeries, and 4 (8.9%) live births of fetuses with other diseases. The frequency of postnatal surgeries of the infants with UCCs located adjacent to the anterior abdominal wall was higher than those located adjacent to the fetal surface of the placenta (30.8% [4/13] vs 0% [0/22]; p =.014). All 26 live healthy neonates and 4 neonates that underwent postnatal surgery had an overall good prognosis. For fetuses with isolated or non-isolated UCC, CMA could be a choice for parents after providing detailed information. Even when surgery was required, pregnancy outcomes and short- and long-term prognoses for fetuses with UCCs were favorable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the concordance of conventional autopsy (CA) and postmortem magnetic resonance (MR) after termination of pregnancy (TOP) in fetuses with prenatally detected central nervous system (CNS) anomalies. Second, to determine the most informative postmortem investigation in parental counseling. All TOPs between 2006 and 2016 with prenatally detected CNS involvement and having a postmortem MR and CA as postmortem examinations were retrospectively analyzed and concordance levels were established. Of 764 TOPs, 255 cases had a CNS anomaly detected prenatally (33.4%). Fetal genetic anomalies (n = 40) and cases without both postmortem MR and CA were excluded, leaving 68 cases for analysis. Disagreement between postmortem MR and CA was observed in 22 cases (32.4%). In eight cases (11.8%), more information was obtained by CA compared with MR. However, only two cases with major additional findings were found when compared with prenatal diagnosis. In 14 cases (20.6%), MR was superior to CA either because of additional cerebral anomalies undetected by CA (n = 5) and/or because of severe autolysis hindering pathology of the CNS (n = 9). Our data point out that an adequate postmortem evaluation, valuable in parental counseling, can be provided by a postmortem MR in 97% of the cases. An adequate postmortem evaluation, valuable in parental counseling, can be provided by a postmortem (PM) magnetic resonance (MR) in the majority of cases. PM MR is an excellent postmortem imaging tool for the brain. In cases with brain autolysis, PM MR is often the only informative PM investigation tool. PM MR is an essential adjunct to CA in the PM evaluation of pregnancies terminated for a central nervous system (CNS) anomaly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]