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No consensus exists for the best way to monitor and when to trigger delivery in mothers of babies with fetal growth restriction. We aimed to assess whether changes in the fetal ductus venosus Doppler waveform (DV) could be used as indications for delivery instead of cardiotocography short-term variation (STV). In this prospective, European multicentre, unblinded, randomised study, we included women with singleton fetuses at 26-32 weeks of gestation who had very preterm fetal growth restriction (ie, low abdominal circumference [ 95th percentile]). We randomly allocated women 1:1:1, with randomly sized blocks and stratified by participating centre and gestational age ( 95th percentile; DV p95), or late DV changes (A wave [the deflection within the venous waveform signifying atrial contraction] at or below baseline; DV no A). The primary outcome was survival without cerebral palsy or neurosensory impairment, or a Bayley III developmental score of less than 85, at 2 years of age. We assessed outcomes in surviving infants with known outcomes at 2 years. We did an intention to treat study for all participants for whom we had data. Safety outcomes were deaths in utero and neonatal deaths and were assessed in all randomly allocated women. This study is registered with ISRCTN, number 56204499. Between Jan 1, 2005 and Oct 1, 2010, 503 of 542 eligible women were randomly allocated to monitoring groups (166 to CTG STV, 167 to DV p95, and 170 to DV no A). The median gestational age at delivery was 30·7 weeks (IQR 29·1-32·1) and mean birthweight was 1019 g (SD 322). The proportion of infants surviving without neuroimpairment did not differ between the CTG STV (111 [77%] of 144 infants with known outcome), DV p95 (119 [84%] of 142), and DV no A (133 [85%] of 157) groups (ptrend=0·09). 12 fetuses (2%) died in utero and 27 (6%) neonatal deaths occurred. Of survivors, more infants where women were randomly assigned to delivery according to late ductus changes (133 [95%] of 140, 95%, 95% CI 90-98) were free of neuroimpairment when compared with those randomly assigned to CTG (111 [85%] of 131, 95% CI 78-90; p=0.005), but this was accompanied by a non-significant increase in perinatal and infant mortality. Although the difference in the proportion of infants surviving without neuroimpairment was non-significant at the primary endpoint, timing of delivery based on the study protocol using late changes in the DV waveform might produce an improvement in developmental outcomes at 2 years of age. ZonMw, The Netherlands and Dr Hans Ludwig Geisenhofer Foundation, Germany

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical impact of nationwide implementation of genome-wide Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) in pregnancies at increased risk for fetal trisomies 21, 18 and 13. METHOD: Women with elevated risk based on first trimester combined testing (FCT ≥ 1:200) or medical history, not advanced maternal age alone, were offered NIPT as contingent screening test, performed by Dutch University Medical laboratories. We analyzed uptake, test performance, redraw/failure rate, turn-around time and pregnancy outcome. RESULTS: Between April 1st and September 1st, 2014, 1413/23232 (6%) women received a high-risk FCT result. Of these, 1211 (85.7%) chose NIPT. 179 women had NIPT based on medical history. 1386/1390 (99.7%) women received a result, 6 (0.4%) after redraw. Mean turn-around time was 14 days. Follow-up was available in 1376 (99.0%) pregnancies. NIPT correctly predicted 37/38 (97.4%) trisomies 21, 18 or 13 (29/30, 4/4 and 4/4 respectively). 5/1376 (0.4%) cases proved to be false positives: trisomies 21 (n = 2), 18 (n = 1) and 13 (n = 2). Estimated reduction in invasive testing was 62%. CONCLUSION: Introduction of NIPT in the Dutch National healthcare-funded Prenatal Screening Program resulted in high uptake and a vast reduction of invasive testing. Our study supports offering NIPT to pregnant women at increased risk for fetal trisomy.

Background: Acardiac twinning is a rare anomaly of monochorionic twin pregnancies. Acardiac fetuses lack a functional heart but are passively perfused by arterial blood from their pump co-twin. Although four acardiac morphological types have been classified, the various paths of anatomical and circulatory acardiac twin development, and the potential influence of acardiac size and perfusion flow as possible predictors of pump twin morbidity and mortality are poorly understood. This report presents the first high resolution three-dimensional reconstruction of the vasculature of an acardiac twin by cryomicrotome imaging. Case: A small, approximately 7.5-cm-diameter ball-shaped acardius amorphous of 30 5/7 weeks had caused pump twin cardiac decompensation that necessitated an emergency cesarian section. The pump twin survived well. The acardiac body had a partially intact vascular system with large diameter arteries and veins and multiple zones that appeared devoid of perfusion. The three-dimensional reconstruction showed neither recognizable organ structures nor identifiable blood vessels except for the umbilical artery and vein. Conclusion: Our case showed a small acardiac mass with large diameter vessels and consequential low outflow resistance that caused pump twin complications. This indicates that the development of a method that allows pump twin prognosis is likely more successful if based on the use of acardiac versus pump twin perfusion flows than on body volume ratios.

BackgroundInvasive fetal cardiac intervention (FCI) has been reported in single-institution series, promoting technical and physiologic success.ObjectivesThis study describes the creation of an international registry of cases presenting for FCI, intended to compile technical and outcome data from a multicenter cohort.MethodsFor this initial analysis, the entire database of the International Fetal Cardiac Intervention Registry (IFCIR) was queried for details of diagnoses, procedures, and outcomes. Maternal-fetal dyads from January 2001 through June 2014 were included.ResultsEighteen institutions submitted data by data harvest. Of 370 cases entered, 245 underwent FCI: 100 aortic valvuloplasties from a previous single-center report (excluded from additional reporting here), an additional 86 aortic and 16 pulmonary valvuloplasties, 37 atrial septal cases, and 6 unclassified cases. FCI did not appear to affect overall survival to hospital discharge. Among live-born infants with a fetal diagnosis of aortic stenosis/evolving hypoplastic left heart syndrome, more than twice as many were discharged with biventricular circulation after successful FCI versus those meeting institutional criteria but without any or successful FCI (42.8% vs. 19.4%, respectively). When fetal deaths were counted as treatment failures, the percentages were similar: biventricular circulation at discharge was 31.3% versus 18.5% for those discharged with univentricular palliation. Survival to discharge for live-born fetuses with atrial restriction was similar to that of those undergoing technically successful versus unsuccessful FCI (63.6% vs. 46.7%, respectively), although criteria for diagnosis were nonuniform.ConclusionsWe describe the contents of the IFCIR and present post-natal data to suggest potential benefit to fetal therapy among pregnancies considered for possible intervention and support proposals for additional work.

OBJECTIVES: The TRIDENT study (Trial by Dutch laboratories for Evaluation of Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing) evaluates the implementation of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in the Dutch healthcare system. Here we report on the preferences and experiences of pregnant women at high risk for fetal aneuploidy who were offered a choice between NIPT, invasive testing or no follow-up test. METHODS: A nationwide prospective cohort study among pregnant women at high risk for fetal aneuploidy because of first trimester screening results (risk ≥1:200) or medical history. Questionnaires were administered to the women, to be completed after counselling and after receiving the test-results, at seven (of the eight) prenatal diagnostic centers in the Netherlands. The questionnaires addressed: women's preference for follow-up testing, intention to terminate the pregnancy, attitudes, knowledge, decisional conflict, anxiety and satisfaction. RESULTS: Pre- and post-test questionnaires were completed by n = 1,106 (86% response) and n = 686 (67% response) women, respectively. Preliminary analyses show that the majority of respondents (92%) preferred NIPT, 5% invasive testing, 2% were unsure, and 1% declined testing. The main reason to prefer NIPT was safety for the child (92%). Of the 60 women preferring invasive testing, 52% did so because of test-accuracy, 25% desired more rapid test-results, 5% because it provides more information, and 18% reported other reasons. Most women (92%) felt that they made a well-informed decision, and 75% reported that this decision was easy to make. Intention to terminate the pregnancy for Down syndrome was lower among women preferring NIPT (58%) compared to women preferring invasive testing (87%). Women were highly satisfied with NIPT. However, 64% perceived the waiting time for NIPT results (mean: 11 days (range 5-32)) as too long, while 3% in retrospect would have preferred a different follow-up test, mostly to avoid the long waiting time. CONCLUSIONS: Most pregnant women in our study felt they could make an informed decision. The majority of women prefer NIPT, mainly because it has no miscarriage risk. Reducing turnaround time for test-results is our next challenge in meeting women's needs.

The non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) is an accurate and safe test in which blood from the pregnant woman is used to investigate if the unborn child possibly has trisomy 21 (Down's syndrome), trisomy 18 (Edwards' syndrome) or trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome). Since April 2014 the NIPT has been available in the Netherlands as part of the TRIDENT implementation project for those in whom the first trimester combined test showed an elevated risk (> 1:200) of trisomy, or on medical indication, as an alternative to chorionic villous sampling or amniocentesis. Since the introduction of the NIPT the use of these invasive tests, which are associated with a risk of miscarriage, has fallen steeply. The NIPT may replace the combined test. Also the number of conditions that is tested for can be increased. Modification of current prenatal screening will require extensive discussion, but whatever the modification, careful counseling remains essential to facilitate pregnant women's autonomous reproductive decision making.

Weekly maternal intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is the cornerstone of antenatal treatment of foetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT). The aim of this study was to describe the neonatal outcome and management in neonates with FNAIT treated antenatally with IVIG.All neonates treated antenatally and delivered at our centre between 2006 and 2012 were included in the study. We assessed the neonatal outcome and management, including the occurrence of intracranial haemorrhage, platelet count at birth and need for postnatal platelet transfusions or postnatal IVIG treatment.A total of 22 neonates were included of whom 12 (55%) had severe thrombocytopenia at birth (platelet count ≤50×10(9)/L). Most neonates (67%, 8/12) with severe thrombocytopenia received a platelet transfusion after birth. None of the neonates required postnatal treatment with IVIG. Three neonates had petechiae and haematomas, without clinical consequences. One foetus suffered from intracranial haemorrhage, which was detected just before the planned start of antenatal IVIG at 28 weeks' gestation.Our results suggest that antenatal maternal IVIG and, if necessary, postnatal matched platelet transfusions, are effective and safe for the treatment of FNAIT.

The non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) is an accurate and safe test in which blood from the pregnant woman is used to investigate if the unborn child possibly has trisomy 21 (Down's syndrome), trisomy 18 (Edwards' syndrome) or trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome). Since April 2014 the NIPT has been available in the Netherlands as part of the TRIDENT implementation project for those in whom the first trimester combined test showed an elevated risk (> 1:200) of trisomy, or on medical indication, as an alternative to chorionic villous sampling or amniocentesis. Since the introduction of the NIPT the use of these invasive tests, which are associated with a risk of miscarriage, has fallen steeply. The NIPT may replace the combined test. Also the number of conditions that is tested for can be increased. Modification of current prenatal screening will require extensive discussion, but whatever the modification, careful counseling remains essential to facilitate pregnant women's autonomous reproductive decision making.