IN a survey of the paediatric significance of environmental lead there was evidence that part of the maternal intake of lead may influence the fetus' (Barltrop, 1969). Lead is incorporated in calcified tissues, and the studies of Altshuller, Halak and Landing (1962) andof Needleman, Tuncay and Shapiro (1972) indicate that the primary teeth provide evidence of lead exposure during infancy, a typ...

Low blood sugar concentrations are common in infants, and concentrations which in the adult would be considered pathologically low may be physiological in the newborn in whom hypoglycaemia is not necessarily associated with symptoms (Ketteringham and Austin, 1938; McKittrick, 1940; Hanley and Horn, 1943; Norval, Kennedy, and Berkson, 1949; Wachter, 1949; Pedersen, 1952; Desmond, 1953; Lowrey, G...

Sacrococcygeal teratomas have tissues derived from ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm.2 Although their embryonic origin is still uncertain, they are believed to arise early in gestation (at around the late second or early third week) from the totipotential cells of Hensen's node (also called the primitive knot), a remnant of the primitive streak in the coccygeal region.5-7 The primitive streak ap...

The pulmonary circulation is the only system in the body which does not have a dress rehearsal in utero. The pulmonary endothelium plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the resistance falls rapidly after birth so that the lungs can receive and process the entire cardiac output for the first time. It transduces signals triggered by environmental changes to the underlying smooth muscle cells, con...

BACKGROUND Thyroid hormone plays a critical role in fetal development. In pregnancy, increased thyroid hormone synthesis is required to meet fetal needs, resulting in increased iodine requirements. OBJECTIVE This article outlines changes to thyroid physiology and iodine requirements in pregnancy, pregnancy specific reference ranges for thyroid function tests and detection and management of th...

BACKGROUND Mood and anxiety and related disorders (AD) account for a significant proportion of mental health conditions, with close to 30 % of the population (28.8 %) suffering from an AD at some time in their life, and over fifteen percent (16.2 %) suffering from a mood disorder. The existing empirical literature leaves a number of important gaps with respect to our understanding of mood, anxi...

background: morbidity and mortality of preterm babies are important issues in perinatal medicine. in developed countries, preterm delivery is the cause of about 70% of mortality and 75% of morbidity in the neonatal period, respectively. objective: the aim of this study was to determine the risk factors for preterm labor and the outcomes, in terms of perinatal mortality and morbidity at the time...