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This article, titled "Intracardiac intermediate diastolic velocity in response to fetal anemia: using hemoglobin Bart's disease as a study model," compares the cardiac Doppler measurements of fetuses affected and unaffected by Hb Bart's disease. The study found that in fetuses with Hb Bart's disease, the intermediate diastolic velocity (IDV) was lower in the right ventricle and higher in the left ventricle compared to unaffected fetuses. Additionally, the study observed changes in other parameters of cardiac function, such as increased cardiac output and myocardial performance index (MPI) on the right side. The findings suggest that fetal anemia affects ventricular diastolic function, with more pronounced effects on the right side. [Extracted from the article]

This article examines the effects of fetal anemia, specifically fetal Hb Bart's disease, on oxidative stress levels and mitochondrial function in the placenta and maternal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The study compared pregnancies affected by Hb Bart's disease to non-anemic pregnancies between 16 and 22 weeks of gestation. The results showed that fetal anemia led to increased oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in both the placenta and the mothers, even in the absence of abnormal uteroplacental blood flow. These findings suggest that the placenta can release oxidative stress agents into the maternal circulation, potentially contributing to adverse outcomes such as pre-eclampsia if the pregnancy is not terminated. [Extracted from the article]

Objective The objective of this paper is to compare adverse pregnancy outcomes between normal pregnancies and pregnancies with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), particularly focusing on uncomplicated SLE with remission. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted by accessing the Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) Unit database and the full medical records of the women. The records of singleton pregnancies with SLE and no underlying disease were assigned as the study group and their medical records were reviewed. The low-risk pregnancies were randomly selected as the controls. The adverse pregnancy outcomes were compared between the control group vs women with SLE, control group vs uncomplicated SLE, and between the subgroups within the study group. Results Of 28,003 births during the study period, 1400 controls and 140 pregnancies with SLE were compared. The rates of fetal loss, preterm birth, small-for-date, low birth weight and preeclampsia were significantly higher in the study groups with a relative risk of 5.6 (95% CI: 2.9–10.9), 3.2 (95% CI: 2.5–4.1), 3.5 (95% CI: 2.4–4.9), 4.2 (95% CI: 3.4–5.3) and 2.9 (95% CI: 1.9–4.4), respectively. The increased rates of most adverse outcomes were still noted even in the cases of uncomplicated SLE. Among women with SLE, lupus nephritis, chronic hypertension, antiphospholipid syndrome, active disease at the onset of pregnancies, and proteinuria were significantly associated with such outcomes. Conclusions Pregnancies with SLE, even in uncomplicated cases with remission, increase the risk of poor pregnancy outcomes. The presence of lupus nephritis, chronic hypertension, antiphospholipid syndrome, active disease at the onset of pregnancies, and proteinuria were significantly associated with such outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to determine the strength of relationship between maternal free beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) concentrations and rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Consecutive records of the database of our Down screening project were assessed for free β-hCG levels and pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancies with foetal chromosomal or structural anomalies and those with underlying disease were excluded. Free β-hCG levels of < 0.5, > 0.5 and < 2.0, and ≥ 2.0 MoM were categorised as low, normal and high, respectively. Of 17,082 screened women, 13,620 were available for analysis. In the first trimester (n= 8150), low β-hCG levels significantly increased risk for intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), preterm birth, low birth weight (LBW) and low Apgar score with relative risk of 1.66, 1.43, 1.83 and 2.89; whereas high β-hCG group had a significant decreased risk of preterm birth and GDM with relative risk of 0.73 and 0.62. In the second trimester (n= 5470), both low and high β-hCG groups had significant increased risks of the most common adverse outcomes, i.e. spontaneous abortion, IUGR and preterm birth. In conclusion, abnormally low (< 0.5MoM) or high (> 2.0 MoM) free β-hCG levels are generally associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Nevertheless, high free β-hCG levels in the first trimester may possibly decrease risk of preterm delivery and GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]