Pregnant mothers often report a special awareness of and bonding with their unborn child. Little is known about this relationship although it may offer potential for the assessment of the fetal condition. Recently we found evidence of short epochs of fetal-maternal heart rate synchronization under uncontrolled conditions with spontaneous maternal breathing. Here, we examine whether the occurren...

In the UK, surrogacy procedures are unregulated and not monitored. Information concerning the selection and assessment of intended (the mother commissioning) and surrogate mothers (the mother carrying and delivering the baby) is therefore not generally available (BMA, 1996). It is important to determine what type of assessment is used, and how selection takes place within the organizations deal...

UNLABELLED It has been shown that short-term direct interaction between maternal and fetal heart rates may take place and that this interaction is affected by the rate of maternal respiration. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of maternal aerobic exercise during pregnancy on the occurrence of fetal-maternal heart rate synchronization. METHODS In 40 pregnant women at the 36th w...

Germ cell transplantation (GCT) is a promising assisted reproductive technology for the conservation and propagation of endangered and valuable genetic resources. In teleost fish, GCT in adult gonads has been achieved only in male recipients, limiting greatly the usefulness of this technique in situations where both sexes need equal and timely attention for conservation and/or propagation. Here...

BACKGROUND/AIM Obtaining human embryonic stem cell lines has so far involved destroying the embryos. This has given rise to ethical concerns and is not permitted in most countries. This investigation tested whether removing multiple cells from blastocysts might allow continued embryonic development. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 40 blastocysts from a black mouse strain were biopsied. The m...

STUDY QUESTION What impact does surrogacy have on the surrogates' own children? SUMMARY ANSWER The children of surrogate mothers do not experience any negative consequences as a result of their mother's decision to be a surrogate, irrespective of whether or not the surrogate uses her own egg. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE AND DURATION Participants were recruited as part of a study of the long-term eff...

The social behavior of rhesus monkeys raised for the 1st year of life with mobile (MS) or stationary (SS) cloth surrogate mothers was investigated when the animals reached 4-5 yr of age. The MS males generally refrained from social interaction during initial pairings with females, whereas SS males interacted frequently, but were more often the targets of attacks and chases from adult females th...