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Vaginal bleeding in childhood is not a common complaint. Serious medical or sociological problems can underly this irregular symptom in young girls. Therefore it requires careful medical investigation followed by appropriate sociologic and psychologic support. The variable etiologies of vulvovaginitis are the most common causes of vaginal bleeding during the prepubertal period. External blood loss can be related to trauma or urologic factors. It can be the presenting sign of relatively rare benign and malignant neoplasms of the genital tract. Precocious menstruation in itself or as a part of precocious puberty must be suspected in these cases. Vaginal bleeding in prepubertal girls is uncommon but warrants careful evaluation because of the special status of the young patient.

Fetal body movements and breathing movements were recorded with a real time ultrasound scanner in 26 fetuses. There were two recording periods of 25 min each, before and half and hour after maternal IV administration of 50 gr glucose. Six fetuses were at 280 days of gestation (Group A), twelve fetuses were at 294 days of gestation (group B), eight fetuses at 294 days gestation were classified as stage I postmature (group C). The incidence of fetal body movements was not significantly different in the three groups. Maternal glucose administration had no significant influence on fetal body movements in any group. On the other hand fetal breathing activity was significantly increased in all three groups after maternal glucose administration. Breathing activity was significantly greater in group A when compared to group C in both recording periods, and when compared to group B in the period which followed maternal glucose administration. It is concluded that fetal breathing activity is reduced in prolonged pregnancies.

A method for detecting ovulation by measuring the concentration of salivary phosphate was assessed. Spontaneously produced samples were obtained from 14 women aged 18-28 years everyday during midcycle and every other day during the early and late stages of the menstrual cycle. All subjects showed significant (p less than .01-.001) phosphate peaks at midcycle. There was also a correlation between the phosphate peak and the midcycle shift in basal body temperature. It is recommended that the possibility of hormonal regulation of the salivary content of phosphate be investigated.

Plasma digoxin-like immunoreactive factor(s) (DLIF) have been reported in various pathophysiological conditions associated with volume expansion and linked to the regulation of blood volume and pressure. We hypothesized that DLIF might be present in rapidly expanding gonadotropin-stimulated ovarian follicles. The mean total and free DLIF concentrations in the follicles (n = 9) studied were 4925 nmol/L and 1885 nmol/L, respectively. These concentrations were substantially higher than the plasma total and free DLIF levels in these women: 1216 nmol/L and 158 nmol/L, respectively (p less than 0.0001). The plasma DLIF levels in the gonadotropin-treated women were comparable to those in term pregnant women, which are known to be higher than those in non-pregnant women. The ovary thus may be a source of DLIF in the plasma of gonadotropin-treated women, and DLIF may have a role in ovarian follicular fluid homeostasis.