OBJECTIVE To describe the individual intrauterine growth patterns of fetuses of insulin-dependent (Type-1) diabetic women and to examine determinants of overgrowth (macrosomia) and its timing. METHODS This retrospective longitudinal study examined the developmental trajectories of fetal abdominal circumference (AC) and biparietal diameter in 76 Type-1 diabetic women with singleton pregnancies...

A retrospective longitudinal study was performed to quantify foetal growth velocities in twin pregnancies and to determine the effect of variables specific to twin pregnancies on growth velocity. Foetal growth velocity standard deviation (Z) scores were calculated from serial ultrasound data using published singleton reference data for 131 consecutive sets of twins from 30 to 37 weeks' gestatio...

OBJECTIVE To determine the range of positions of the fetal head in which a three-dimensional (3D) volume is acquired for subsequent successful assessment of the frontomaxillary facial (FMF) angle. METHOD We obtained 3D volumes of the fetal head at 11 + 0 to 13 + 6 weeks. The volumes were acquired with the head in different positions and reconstructed to obtain a mid-sagittal section and demon...

A 30 year old woman, gravida 3 para 2, was admitted to the labour ward at term. Routine ultrasound scan performed at 23 weeks had revealed a single cerebral ventricle, fused thalami and absent midline structures (Panel A), with anti-CMV IgG increasing from 250 to 539 IU/mL at 23 and 25 weeks. Antenatal diagnosis of alobar holoprosencephaly following congenital CMV infection was made. The partur...

OBJECTIVE Although second-trimester nasal bone (NB) hypoplasia has been associated with fetal aneuploidy, its role as a single marker is still uncertain. Our objective was to evaluate the efficiency of NB hypoplasia as an independent marker for fetal aneuploidy. METHODS This was a prospective cohort study of women undergoing an anatomic survey between 16 and 22 weeks' gestation. The fetal NB ...

Chromosome 6 deletions are very rare (1,2), and deletion 6q syndrome is clinically characterized by mental and/or neuromotor retardation and microcephaly (3). Other alterations frequently observed are decreased biparietal diameter, hypertelorism, hypotelorism, absent eyebrows, prominent eyes with ptosis, receding chin, dysmorphic ears, large extremities, prominent nasal bridge, long philtrum, e...

Common marmosets are cooperatively breeding monkeys that exhibit high female reproductive skew. Subordinate females usually fail to breed as a consequence of ovulation suppression and inhibition of sexual behavior, and, even when they do breed, typically rear fewer infants than dominants. We evaluated possible mechanisms of post-conception reproductive competition by comparing hormonal profiles...

Maternal seafood intake is of great health interest since it constitutes an important source of n-3 fatty acids, but provides also an important pathway for fetal exposure to Hg. The objective of the present study was to determine associations between Hg contamination and both maternal seafood consumption and fetal growth in French pregnant women. Pregnant women included in the 'EDEN mother-chil...