OBJECTIVES To determine blood-lead (Pb) levels in pregnant women and neonates in a metallurgical city of Peru. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study was carried out, the population of which consisted of pregnant women who had lived for at least two years in the city of La Oroya, at the time when the lead, copper and zinc foundries operated normally. A blood sample was obtained from th...

Umbilical cord blood has served as an alternative to bone marrow for hematopoietic transplantation since the late 1980s. Numerous clinical studies have proven the efficacy of umbilical cord blood. Moreover, the possible immaturity of cells in umbilical cord blood gives more options to recipients with HLA mismatch and allows for the use of umbilical cord blood from unrelated donors. However, mor...

BACKGROUND We examined the clinical significance of pregnancies complicated by velamentous cord insertion (VCI) associated with other umbilical cord/placental abnormalities. METHODS Data were collected from 168 deliveries complicated by VCI and from 16,797 unaffected controls. All placentae were screened identically by trained staff. In this study, we examined the presence of excessively long...

Heart failure is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. End stage disease often requires heart transplantation, which is hampered by donor organ shortage. Tissue engineering represents a promising alternative approach for cardiac repair. For the generation of artificial heart muscle tissue several cell types, scaffold materials and bioreactor designs are under investigation. In this revi...

OBJECTIVE To determine the influence of presence of caffeine in umbilical cord blood on apnea occurrence. METHODS A prospective cohort study with preterm newborns with birth weight lower than 2,000 g was undertaken. Exclusion criteria were: mothers who received opioids; mechanical ventilation during the first 4 days of life; cerebral and major cardiac malformations; perinatal asphyxia; severe...

BACKGROUND To clarify whether the use of balloons for cervical ripening is associated with the incidence of umbilical cord prolapse. METHODS A postal questionnaire survey was distributed in Japan. Cases of umbilical cord prolapse occurring during labor in association with the use of balloons for cervical ripening between 2007 and 2011 in Japan were analyzed. RESULTS Answers from 942 institu...

Delayed umbilical cord clamping appears to be beneficial for term and preterm infants. In term infants, delayed umbilical cord clamping increases hemoglobin levels at birth and improves iron stores in the first several months of life, which may have a favorable effect on developmental outcomes. There is a small increase in jaundice that requires phototherapy in this group of infants. Consequent...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate umbilical cord interleukin (IL)-6 and funisitis as independent predictors of early-onset neonatal sepsis (EONS) in preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM). DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Evaluation of umbilical cord IL-6 and funisitis as predictors of early-onset neonatal sepsis in PPROM. POPULATION 176 women with PPROM between 23+0-36+6 weeks of gest...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Umbilical cord haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for primary immunodeficiencies is examined with other developments in treatment. Cord blood biology is reviewed, and advantages and disadvantages of umbilical cord blood stem cell transplantation for primary immunodeficiencies discussed. Clinical outcome data and future developments are reviewed. RECENT FINDINGS Cord bl...