Fetus

About: Fetus is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 21567 publications have been published within this topic receiving 646380 citations. The topic is also known as: foetus & fœtus.

Placental insufficiency and fetal growth restriction.

Abstract: Objectives Fetal growth restriction is defined as a pathologic decrease in the rate of fetal growth. The most frequent etiology for late onset fetal growth restriction is uteroplacental dysfunction which is due to inadequate supply of nutrients and oxygen to support normal aerobic growth of the fetus. However, for symmetrical IUGR, fetal chromosomal anomalies, structural anomalies and fetal infections should be carefully excluded. Consequent to the uteroplacental vascular maladaptation of endovascular trophoblastic invasion, there is increased vascular resistance and decreased blood flow to the placenta in the choriodecidual compartment.

Altered placental development and intrauterine growth restriction in IGF binding protein-1 transgenic mice

Abstract: IGF binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) is a secretory product of decidualized endometrium and a major constituent of amniotic fluid. It is thought to modulate the actions of the IGFs on trophoblast cells and is therefore potentially important in regulating placental development and fetal growth. To investigate this hypothesis, we have studied the effects of decidual IGFBP-1 excess on fetoplacental growth in transgenic mice overexpressing human IGFBP-1. Endogenous fetal IGFBP-1 overexpression is associated with a transient impairment of fetal growth in midgestation. Maternal decidual IGFBP-1 excess is also associated with impaired fetal growth in midgestation independent of fetal genotype, indicating placental insufficiency. Our data also demonstrate that amniotic fluid IGFBP-1 is derived almost exclusively from maternal sources. Decidual IGFBP-1 overexpression has a marked effect on placental development. Placental morphology is abnormal in transgenic females due to altered trophoblast invasion and differentiation. These changes result in an increase in placental mass throughout pregnancy. This study provides the first compelling in vivo evidence that IGFBP-1 plays a role in placentation and suggests that IGFBP-1 has a pathological role in preeclampsia, a disorder characterized by shallow uterine invasion and altered placental development.

The effects of smoking during pregnancy

Abstract: In this prospective study 151 female nonsmokers and 167 smokers (1-20 cigarettes/day) were studied to determine the harmful effects of smoking on the fetus and the preegnancy. Literature on damage to the fetus due to maternal smoking is reviewed. Adverse effects include prematurity small-for-date gestational infants and abruptio placentae. Congenital malformations higher perinatal mortality and hypertension were not more frequent. It is concluded that smoking is harmful to gestation and that it should be forbidden during pregnancy. (authors modified) (summary in ENG)

Global Methylation in the Placenta and Umbilical Cord Blood From Pregnancies With Maternal Gestational Diabetes, Preeclampsia, and Obesity

Abstract: Emerging evidence indicates that maternal medical risk during pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), preeclampsia, and obesity, predisposes the offspring to suboptimal development. However, the underlying biological/epigenetic mechanism in utero is still unknown. The current pilot study (N = 50) compared the levels of global methylation in the placenta and umbilical cord blood among women with and without each risk condition (GDM, preeclampsia, and obesity) and explored whether the levels of global methylation were associated with fetal/infant growth. Results show that global methylation levels in the placenta were lower in patients with gestational diabetes (P = .003) and preeclampsia (P = .05) but higher with obesity (P = .01). Suggestive negative associations were found between global methylation level in the placenta and infant body length and head circumference. While preliminary, it is possible that the placenta tissue, but not umbilical cord blood, may be epigenetically programmed by maternal GDM, preeclampsia, and obesity to carry out its own specific functions that influence fetal growth.

Expression of cytokines in placentas of mice undergoing immunologically mediated spontaneous fetal resorptions.

Abstract: It is clear that the immune system and the reproductive system interact with and influence each other and that the immune system can have positive and negative regulatory effects on the outcome of pregnancy. The discovery of murine models of immunologically mediated spontaneous fetal resorptions has proved to be very useful for the study of immunological influences on pregnancy. In an attempt to elucidate the mechanisms underlying pregnancy impairment in one such "natural" model of pregnancy loss, we compared the expression of the cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha, interferon tau, and interleukin-2 in placental tissue from a resorption-prone strain combination with the expression from a normal combination. We found significantly enhanced expression of these three cytokines in placentas from the resorption-prone combination using dot-blot hybridization and Northern hybridizations. Since these cytokines are abortifacients in vivo and have detrimental effects on the placenta, and hence on fetal development and survival, our demonstration of enhanced expression of these deleterious cytokines may give insight into the mechanisms involved in immunologically mediated spontaneous abortions.