The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of operator experience and ultrasound interpretation technique on the accuracy of ultrasound estimates of amniotic fluid volume. Ultrasound evaluation was carried out by an obstetric resident, a nurse sonographer, a maternal-fetal medicine fellow, and a maternal-fetal medicine staff member to subjectively estimate (visual interpretation wit...

AIMS To determine interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) concentration in fetal and maternal plasma and amniotic fluid from pregnancies complicated by preterm prelabour amniorrhexis and to define the relation of this cytokine to intrauterine infection and the onset of labour. METHODS Cross-sectional study of 23 pregnancies complicated by preterm prelabour amniorrhexis. Enzyme linked immunoassay was u...

Owing to the frequent use of bedside ultrasound, much is known about the regulation of and normative values for amniotic fluid volume and the mechanisms by which this fluid is regulated. The management protocols for conditions with extremes of amniotic fluid volume have become more exact, resulting in interventions more likely to improve outcome. Much is still unclear; there are no tools to mea...

Microbial infection of the amniotic fluid is a significant cause of fetal injury, preterm birth, and newborn infections. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is an important human bacterial pathogen associated with preterm birth, fetal injury, and neonatal mortality. Although GBS has been isolated from amniotic fluid of women in preterm labor, mechanisms of in utero infection remain unknown. Previous st...

Bile acid metabolism of the human fetus was examined in early gestation (weeks 13-19) and compared with the full-term fetus from the analysis of amniotic fluid collected from healthy pregnant women. Total individual bile acids were determined by gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry after solvolysis and hydrolysis of bile acid conjugates. Additionally, bile acids were separated according ...

OBJECTIVE The association between increased amniotic fluid interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations and preterm labor has received increasing attention. Several research groups have evaluated this association using commercial IL-6 kits, which principally use the sandwich-enzyme-immunoassay method, and were originally created to measure IL-6 in plasma, serum, or culture media. We evaluated commercial...

BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) occurs in 3-5% of all pregnancies. GDM increases both maternal and fetal risks, causes fetal macrosomia, and hence increases the rates of caesarean sections and delivery complications such as shoulder dystocia. An early predictive marker and consequent early treatment could be beneficial, so amniotic fluid insulin and C-peptide have been examined i...