Growth Restricted Babies Research Articles

Challenging Management of Pregnancy Complicated by Eisenmenger Syndrome; A Case Report

Women with diagnosed case of Eisenmenger syndrome are usually advised to avoid pregnancy because of high mortality rate 30% to 50%, which increase up to 65% in case of caesarean section. Literature survey showed, few case reports on successful pregnancy outcome with proper multidisciplinary approach in tertiary hospital those who wanted to continue pregnancy with informed written consent about high mortality rate patient with Eisenmenger syndrome who become pregnant are at a particular risk of rapidly progressive cardiopulmonary decompensation, thrombotic complications and sudden death2,3, because pregnancy related physiological changes are poorly tolerated in Eisenmenger syndrome. Prevention and early termination is advisable3,5. For patient who present in later stages of pregnancy, carefully coordinated multidisciplinary care involving experienced specialists from obstetrics, anesthesiology, cardiology, neonatology and critical care medicine is necessary to optimize the chances of survival for both mother and baby. We here present a case report of a 25- year -old 2nd gravida, P:1(VD-IUD) admitted in Fetomaternal medicine department, BSMMU with 36 weeks pregnancy with uncorrected ventricular septal defect(VSD), Eisenmenger syndrome, severe pulmonary hypertension ( 94mmHg), left ventricular dysfunction (EF-<39%), Fetal growth retardation (Wt-1600gm), oligohydramnios (AFI-5.6cm), Gestational diabetes mellitus (on diet) with Hypothyroidism. By meticulous multidisciplinary approach Caesarean section done and shifted to Coronary care unit (CCU). She delivered a growth restricted (birth wt1500gm) male baby with Apgar score: 8 and managed in Neonatal care unit (NICU). University Heart Journal 2024; 20(1): 36-39

Study on clinical profile, risk factors, morbidity and mortality patterns of intrauterine growth restricted babies admitted in neonatal intensive care unit of tertiary care hospital, Vijayapura

Background: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is an important clinical problem associated with increased perinatal mortality and morbidity. The neonate may be either constitutionally small or small due to pathophysiological changes with maternal, placental or foetal factors involved. A foetus with IUGR has not achieved its genetic growth potential. In addition, emerging evidence suggests that they are also more likely than normal weight babies to suffer from degenerative diseases like hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out in the neonatal unit, tertiary care hospital, Vijayapura. This study was carried out between April 2022 to April 2024. 120 IUGR babies were included in this study. Results: Of the 120 babies 22 (18.3%) have died in the hospital. 19 (15.5%) have been discharged with abnormal neurological examination and 79 (66.3%) have been discharged with good condition at discharge condition. Morbidity pattern of IUGR shows that hypoglycaemia (63.3%) and perinatal asphyxia (45.0%) are the commonest complication. Other commoner are sepsis (33.3%), hypocalcaemia (30.0%), hypothermia (28.3%) and thrombocytopenia (25.0%). Conclusions: Perinatal asphyxia and meconium aspiration are significantly associated with abnormal neurological examination at discharge. Perinatal asphyxia, pulmonary haemorrhage and persistent PH are significantly associated with death during the hospital stay. 73 (77.5%) mothers had one or more risk factors. Malnutrition is the commonest (40.0%), other are anaemia (34.2%), pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) (18.3%), multiple gestations (8.3%) and lower age of the mother.

A toddler presenting with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn: And treatment at a Primary Health Centre

A growth-restricted baby boy was born at term with a birthweight of 1.9 kg. He was given NICU care for nine days. The echocardiographic studies done for respiratory distress and murmurs revealed left-to-right shunts at atrial, ventricular, and ductal levels and severe pulmonary hypertension. However, the pulmonary artery pressure values were not available. Financial constraints did not permit surgery. He presented at the Primary Health Centre for shortness of breath and growth failure at four-and-a-half years of age. The child received sildenafil for pulmonary hypertension with a "treat and repair" approach. The child is steadily improving in breathing, outdoor games, and schooling. The pulmonary pressures were still high (60 mm) on repeat echocardiographic studies performed after 18 months of sildenafil treatment. Six-monthly echo studies are planned to guide the future course of action.

Revealing unseen changes in hearts of growth restricted babies.

Revealing unseen changes in hearts of growth restricted babies.

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Placental Thickness Measured By Ultrasonography In The Detection Of Intrauterine Growth Restricted (IUGR) Babies Keeping Actual Birth Weight As Gold Standard

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Placental Thickness Measured By Ultrasonography In The Detection Of Intrauterine Growth Restricted (IUGR) Babies Keeping Actual Birth Weight As Gold Standard

PURPOSe study: understanding the burden of stillbirths in south Asia

PURPOSe study: understanding the burden of stillbirths in south Asia

Epigenetic Mechanisms Responsible for the Transgenerational Inheritance of Intrauterine Growth Restriction Phenotypes.

A poorly functioning placenta results in impaired exchanges of oxygen, nutrition, wastes and hormones between the mother and her fetus. This can lead to restriction of fetal growth. These growth restricted babies are at increased risk of developing chronic diseases, such as type-2 diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease, later in life. Animal studies have shown that growth restricted phenotypes are sex-dependent and can be transmitted to subsequent generations through both the paternal and maternal lineages. Altered epigenetic mechanisms, specifically changes in DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs that regulate expression of genes that are important for fetal development have been shown to be associated with the transmission pattern of growth restricted phenotypes. This review will discuss the subsequent health outcomes in the offspring after growth restriction and the transmission patterns of these diseases. Evidence of altered epigenetic mechanisms in association with fetal growth restriction will also be reviewed.

Toward greater nuance in delayed cord clamping.

For over a decade, the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation has recommended delayed cord clamping (DCC), but implementation has been variable due to lack of consensus on details of technique and concerns for risks in certain patient populations. This review summarizes recent literature on the benefits and risks of DCC in term and preterm infants and examines alternative approaches such as physiologic-based cord clamping or intact cord resuscitation (ICR) and umbilical cord milking (UCM). DCC improves hemoglobin/hematocrit among term infants and may promote improved neurodevelopment. In preterms, DCC improves survival compared to early cord clamping; however, UCM has been associated with severe intraventricular hemorrhage in extremely preterm infants. Infants of COVID-19 positive mothers, growth-restricted babies, multiples, and some infants with cardiopulmonary anomalies can also benefit from DCC. Large randomized trials of ICR will clarify safety and benefits in nonvigorous neonates. These have the potential to dramatically change the sequence of events during neonatal resuscitation. Umbilical cord management has moved beyond simple time-based comparisons to nuances of technique and application in vulnerable sub-populations. Ongoing research highlights the importance of an individualized approach that recognizes the physiologic equilibrium when ventilation is established before cord clamping.

Fetal Growth Trajectories Among Small for Gestational Age Babies and Child Neurodevelopment.

Being born small for gestational age (SGA, <10th percentile) is a risk factor for worse neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, this group is a heterogeneous mix of healthy and growth-restricted babies, and not all will experience poor outcomes. We sought to determine whether fetal growth trajectories can distinguish who will have the worst neurodevelopmental outcomes in childhood among babies born SGA. The present analysis was conducted in Generation R, a population-based cohort in Rotterdam, the Netherlands (N = 5,487). Using group-based trajectory modeling, we identified fetal growth trajectories for weight among babies born SGA. These were based on standard deviation scores of ultrasound measures from mid-pregnancy and late pregnancy in combination with birth weight. We compared child nonverbal intelligence quotient (IQ) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms at age 6 between SGA babies within each growth trajectory to babies born non-SGA. Among SGA individuals (n = 656), we identified three distinct fetal growth trajectories for weight. Children who were consistently small from mid-pregnancy (n = 64) had the lowest IQ (7 points lower compared to non-SGA babies, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -11.0, -3.5) and slightly more ADHD symptoms. Children from the trajectory that started larger but were smaller at birth showed no differences in outcomes compared to children born non-SGA. Among SGA children, those who were smaller beginning in mid-pregnancy exhibited the worst neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 6. Fetal growth trajectories may help identify SGA babies who go on to have poor neurodevelopmental outcomes.

The prevalence of abnormal Doppler's of the umbilical artery in a low-risk pregnant population in South Africa.

BackgroundThe assessment of fetal blood flow using Doppler waveform can be used to identify placental insufficiency, and hence is a tool to identify fetuses at risk of stillbirth due to fetal growth restriction (FGR). In South Africa the largest category of perinatal deaths is ‘unexplained intrauterine death’. The majority of the mothers are clinically healthy women. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of abnormal umbilical resistance indices (abnormal RI) to see if screening a low-risk pregnant population is worthwhile.MethodsA descriptive study across 9 sites in 8 provinces of South Africa was performed to determine the prevalence of abnormal RI of the umbilical artery in women classified as having a low-risk pregnancy. The study was conducted from 1st September 2017- February 2020.The pregnant women classified were screened using a continuous wave Doppler ultrasound apparatus (Umbiflow™) between 28 and 34 weeks’ gestation. Women with fetuses with an abnormal RI were referred to a high-risk clinic and were managed according to standard protocol. The outcomes of all the deliveries were recorded.FindingsUmbiflow™ screening of the umbilical artery was performed in 7088 women across nine sites; 919 (13·0%) fetuses had an abnormal RI. Absent end diastolic flow (AEDF) was found in 87 (1·2%) fetuses. The prevalence of small for gestational ages (SGA) babies was 23·1% in the normal RI group and was significantly higher in the abnormal RI group 32·1% (p<0·0001). There was a statistical difference in the perinatal mortality rate between the normal RI (9.8/1000) and abnormal RI group (21.4/1000) [RR 0·046; 95% CI -0·06–0·98].InterpretationThe prevalence of abnormal RI and AEDF in this screened low-risk population was about ten times higher than that previously recorded in high income countries. Continuous wave Doppler ultrasound screening detected previously undiagnosed growth restricted babies. The prevalence of AEDF warrants continuous wave Doppler ultrasound screening of the low-risk pregnant population in South Africa.FundingThis study was funded by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

A review of maternal overweight and obesity and its impact on cardiometabolic outcomes during pregnancy and postpartum.

The rates of maternal overweight and obesity, but also excess gestational weight gain, are increasing. Pregnancy complications, including gestational diabetes mellitus, gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia and delivery of a preterm or growth restricted baby, are higher for both women with overweight and obesity and women who gain excess weight during their pregnancy. Other conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome are also strongly linked to overweight and obesity and worsened pregnancy complications. All of these conditions place women at increased risk for future cardiometabolic diseases. If overweight and obesity, but also excess gestational weight gain, can be reduced in women of reproductive age, then multiple comorbidities associated with pregnancy complications may also be reduced in the years after childbirth. This narrative review highlights the association between maternal overweight and obesity and gestational weight gain, with gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, polycystic ovary syndrome and delivery of a preterm or growth restricted baby. This review also addresses how these adverse conditions are linked to cardiometabolic diseases after birth. We report that while the independent associations between obesity and gestational weight gain are evident across many of the adverse conditions assessed, whether body mass index or gestational weight gain is a stronger driving factor for many of these is currently unclear. Mechanisms linking gestational diabetes mellitus, gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, preterm delivery and polycystic ovary syndrome to heightened risk for cardiometabolic diseases are multifactorial but relate to cardiovascular and inflammatory pathways that are also found in overweight and obesity. The need for post-partum cardiovascular risk assessment and follow-up care remains overlooked. Such early detection and intervention for women with pregnancy-related complications will significantly attenuate risk for cardiovascular disease.

Successful management of early onset fetal growth restriction: A case report

FGR (Fetal Growth Restriction) is a condition in which a fetus fails to attend its predetermined biological genetic growth potential. Growth-restricted fetuses are at increased risk of perinatal mortality and morbidity. Growth restricted babies also have poor long term outcomes of cardiovascular, neurological, cognitive or neurological system. The present case of Early FGR where patient presented to us at at 29+6 weeks of gestation with lag in fetal growth of 3 weeks &amp; an Amniotic fluid Index of 3.2 cm and her pregnancy could be successfully prolonged up to 35+2 two weeks of gestation. The protocol for management of the fetus was as per Delphi consensus and ISUOG guidelines, and we could prolong pregnancy to the maximum possible gestation and delivered a low birth weight fetus with good Apgar score and who did not require Neonatal Intensive Care Unit admission. Tools for diagnosis and follow up of FGR fetus are customized growth charts, sequential ultrasound measurements focusing on declining/crossing growth centiles, functional parameters such as Doppler waveform analysis (umbilical artery (UA), fetal middle cerebral artery, and ductus venosus), Biophysical profile scoring, Cardio tocography and serum biomarkers.

Prenatal sonographic findings and management of placental mesenchymal dysplasia

Placental mesenchymal dysplasia (PMD) is a rare disorder of the placenta characterized by placentomegaly with diffuse hydropic stem villous, aneurysmally dilated vessels, and lack of trophoblastic proliferation. Case: The prenatal ultrasound of a 34-year-old woman (G1P0) at 33 weeks of gestation showed an enlarged placenta with multiple cystic lesions, heterogeneous echoes with no active blood flow, and fetal growth restriction (FGR). The differential diagnosis involved partial mole, placental hemorrhage, and PMD. She developed preeclampsia at 38 weeks of gestation and gave birth to a normally formed, growth-restricted baby. The placenta, weighing 785 g, showed scattered cystic vesicles in the parenchyma. The histology shows enlarged edematous stem villi with occasional cistern formation and no area of chorioangioma or features of molar pregnancy. PMD associated fetal growth restriction was diagnosed. Conclusion: PMD has prenatal ultrasound result resembling those of partial mole, placental hemorrhage and chorioangioma, but the fetus is phenotypically normal. Nevertheless, fetal surveillance is essential.

Perinatal Outcome in Pregnancies Associated with Hypertension: A Prospective Cohort Study in a Rural Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital of North India.

Objective:The objective of the study is to know type of hypertension affecting pregnant women and impact on perinatal outcome.Subject and Methods:This is a prospective cohort study; 120 women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) at gestation ≥28 weeks who delivered in our institute were enrolled. Sociodemography, gestational age, mode of delivery, APGAR, birth weight, fetal growth restriction (FGR), and perinatal outcome were recorded. Mean ± standard deviation or proportions, analysis of variance, Chi-square test, and odds ratio were used for statistical analysis.Results:Preeclampsia (PE) was most prevalent hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (44.2%), followed by eclampsia (27.50%), gestational hypertension (23.3%), and chronic hypertension (CH) (5.0%). In PE group, 61.8% had FGR, 65.5% newborns were preterm, 74.6% had low birth weight, and 54.1% needed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission. In eclampsia group, 42.9% had fetal growth restriction, 65.7% preterm, 80% low birth weight, and 78.6% NICU admission. PE women delivered more fetal growth-restricted babies with odd ratio of 2.37 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15, 4.9) and at lower gestation with odd ratio of 2.00 (95% CI: 0.95, 4.21). Eclampsia group had more newborn with low APGAR 1 min, NICU admissions, and those requiring ventilator with odds ratio of 3.10 (95% CI: 1.37, 7.03), 4.48 (95% CI: 1.64, 12.24), and 4.09 (95% CI: 1.6, 10.46), respectively. Perinatal mortality was 10, 9, and 2 in eclampsia, PE, and gestational hypertension groups, respectively, with overall rate of 16.9%. PE and eclampsia comprised 71.70% of HDP but contributed 90.5% of all perinatal deaths.Conclusion:Preeclampsia-eclampsia is associated with increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes as compared to gestational and CH, necessitating screening, vigilant antenatal care, timely intervention, and referral.

Epigenetic mechanisms involved in intrauterine growth restriction and aberrant kidney development and function.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) due to uteroplacental insufficiency results in a placenta that is unable to provide adequate nutrients and oxygen to the fetus. These growth-restricted babies have an increased risk of hypertension and chronic kidney disease later in life. In rats, both male and female growth-restricted offspring have nephron deficits but only males develop kidney dysfunction and high blood pressure. In addition, there is transgenerational transmission of nephron deficits and hypertension risk. Therefore, epigenetic mechanisms may explain the sex-specific programming and multigenerational transmission of IUGR-related phenotypes. Expression of DNA methyltransferases (Dnmt1and Dnmt3a) and imprinted genes (Peg3, Snrpn, Kcnq1, and Cdkn1c) were investigated in kidney tissues of sham and IUGR rats in F1 (embryonic day 20 (E20) and postnatal day 1 (PN1)) and F2 (6 and 12 months of age, paternal and maternal lines) generations (n = 6-13/group). In comparison to sham offspring, F1 IUGR rats had a 19% decrease in Dnmt3a expression at E20 (P < 0.05), with decreased Cdkn1c (19%, P < 0.05) and increased Kcnq1 (1.6-fold, P < 0.01) at PN1. There was a sex-specific difference in Cdkn1c and Snrpn expression at E20, with 29% and 34% higher expression in IUGR males compared to females, respectively (P < 0.05). Peg3 sex-specific expression was lost in the F2 IUGR offspring, only in the maternal line. These findings suggest that epigenetic mechanisms may be altered in renal embryonic and/or fetal development in growth-restricted offspring, which could alter kidney function, predisposing these offspring to kidney disease later in life.

Obstetric and perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with Takayasu’s arteritis: single centre experience over five years

Objective:To study obstetric and perinatal outcomes among pregnant women with Takayasu arteritis (TA), attending our hospital for pregnancy and childbirth between January 2011 to December 2016.Material and Methods:Retrospective study was carried out by abstracting clinical charts on all pregnant women with TA who underwent antenatal care and/or delivery in our hospital during this period. American College of Rheumatology criteria was used for diagnosis of TA. Sixteen women with TA were included in the study. Maternal demographic data, stage of disease, complications related to disease, details of treatment taken prior to pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and neonatal outcomes were studied.Results:Forty-four percentage (7/16) belonged to type 5 angiographic type, however the same proportion (7/16) had undergone surgical corrections prior to pregnancy and the majority (15/16) were on medical management. Only three women (19%) were diagnosed during pregnancy. Most did not have active disease measured by Kerr’s criteria (n=12; 75%), and Indıan Takayasu clinical activity scores A. Chronic hypertension was the commonest antenatal complication (56.2%), nearly one-third had growth restricted babies and 25% had preterm labour. There were no cardiovascular events, no maternal deaths, nor fetal or neonatal deaths. Two-thirds of our women were delivered by caesarean section.Conclusion:Preconceptional counselling is of paramount importance in women with TA. Good maternal and fetal outcomes are observed with close antenatal surveillance and multidisciplinary care. Pregnancy should be planned during disease remission, with good antenatal care, close monitoring of clinical symptoms, early diagnosis and treatment of complications.

The presence of coexisting sleep-disordered breathing among women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy does not worsen perinatal outcome

ObjectiveTo determine whether the presence of co-existing sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with worse perinatal outcomes among women diagnosed with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP), compared with normotensive controls.Study designWomen diagnosed with HDP (gestational hypertension or preeclampsia) and BMI- and gestation-matched controls underwent polysomnography in late pregnancy to determine if they had coexisting SDB. Fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring accompanied the sleep study, and third trimester fetal growth velocity was assessed using ultrasound. Cord blood was taken at delivery to measure key regulators of fetal growth.ResultsSDB was diagnosed in 52.5% of the HDP group (n = 40) and 38.1% of the control group (n = 42); p = .19. FHR decelerations were commonly observed during sleep, but the presence of SDB did not increase this risk in either the HDP or control group (HDP group—SDB = 35.3% vs. No SDB = 40.0%, p = 1.0; control group—SDB = 41.7% vs. No SDB = 25.0%, p = .44), nor did SDB affect the total number of decelerations overnight (HDP group—SDB = 2.7 ± 1.0 vs. No SDB = 2.8 ± 2.1, p = .94; control group—SDB = 2.0 ± 0.8 vs. No SDB = 2.0 ± 0.7, p = 1.0). Fetal growth restriction was the strongest predictor of fetal heart rate events during sleep (aOR 5.31 (95% CI 1.26–22.26), p = .02). The presence of SDB also did not adversely affect fetal growth; in fact among women with HDP, SDB was associated with significantly larger customised birthweight centiles (43.2% ± 38.3 vs. 16.2% ± 27.0, p = .015) and fewer growth restricted babies at birth (30% vs. 68.4%, p = .026) compared to HDP women without SDB. There was no impact of SDB on measures of fetal growth for the control group. Cord blood measures of fetal growth did not show any adverse effect among women with SDB, either in the HDP or control group.ConclusionWe did not find that the presence of mild SDB worsened fetal acute or longitudinal outcomes, either among women with HDP or BMI-matched normotensive controls. Unexpectedly, we found the presence of SDB conferred a better prognosis in HDP in terms of fetal growth. The fetus has considerable adaptive capacity to withstand in utero hypoxia, which may explain our mostly negative findings. In addition, SDB in this cohort was mostly mild. It may be that fetal sequelae will only be unmasked in the setting of more severe degrees of SDB and/or underlying placental disease.

Effect of high altitude on human placental amino acid transport.

Women residing at high altitudes deliver infants of lower birth weight than at sea level. Birth weight correlates with placental system A-mediated amino acid transport capacity, and severe environmental hypoxia reduces system A activity in isolated trophoblast and the mouse placenta. However, the effect of high altitude on human placental amino acid transport remains unknown. We hypothesized that microvillous membrane (MVM) system A and system L amino acid transporter activity is lower in placentas of women living at high altitude compared with low-altitude controls. Placentas were collected at term from healthy pregnant women residing at high altitude (HA; >2,500 m; n = 14) or low altitude (LA; <1,700 m; n = 14) following planned, unlabored cesarean section. Birth weight, but not placenta weight, was 13% lower in HA pregnancies (2.88 ± 0.11 kg) compared with LA (3.30 ± 0.07 kg, P < 0.01). MVM erythropoietin receptor abundance, determined by immunoblot, was greater in HA than in LA placentas, consistent with lower placental oxygen levels at HA. However, there was no effect of altitude on MVM system A or L activity, determined by Na+-dependent [14C]methylaminoisobutyric acid uptake and [3H]leucine uptake, respectively. MVM abundance of glucose transporters (GLUTs) 1 and 4 and basal membrane GLUT4 were also similar in LA and HA placentas. Low birth weights in the neonates of women residing at high altitude are not a consequence of reduced placental amino acid transport capacity. These observations are in general agreement with studies of IUGR babies at low altitude, in which MVM system A activity is downregulated only in growth-restricted babies with significant compromise.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Babies born at high altitude are smaller than at sea level. Birth weight is dependent on growth in utero and, in turn, placental nutrient transport. We determined amino acid transport capacity in placentas collected from women resident at low and high altitude. Altitude did not affect system A amino acid transport across the syncytiotrophoblast microvillous membrane, suggesting that impaired placental amino acid transport does not contribute to reduced birth weight in this high-altitude population.

A prospective observational study comparing cardiac function of small for gestational age with appropriate for gestational age babies using serial echocardiographic studies

Background: Approximately 30% of babies born in India are low birth weight (LBW) and about 70% of LBW babies are small for gestational age (SGA). Though there are several trials that have evaluated cardiac function of intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) babies in utero, there is limited data about postnatal cardiac function in SGA babies during early neonatal period. This study was conducted to evaluate the cardiac functions of SGA babies by serial echocardiographic measurements and compare this with appropriate for gestational age (AGA) babies during the early postnatal period. Material and methods: Seventy babies were enrolled in this prospective observational study with 35 each in the SGA and AGA groups. Echocardiography was performed for all babies on days 1, 2, and 3 of life. Myocardial performance index (MPI) was used as the primary measure to compare cardiac function. MPI was calculated for both ventricles using pulse wave Doppler and tissue Doppler. Results: MPI of the left ventricle was significantly higher in the SGA group as compared to AGA babies during all the three measurement periods with SGA babies having significantly higher MPI of right ventricle on day 1 and day 2 but not on day 3. Left ventricular internal diameter index during diastole and systole (LVIDD index and LVIDS index), left atrium: aortic root ratio (LA:AO ratio) were significantly increased in SGA babies on all the occasions. Fractional shortening, ejection fraction, and area shortening were similar in two groups. Conclusions: Myocardial performance index of left and right ventricle, which evaluates both systolic and diastolic function of ventricles, was significantly increased in SGA babies in comparison to AGA babies during the first 3 days of life except MPI of the right ventricle on day 3. Thus, SGA babies have compromised cardiac function through all phases of the cardiac cycle with the performance improving spontaneously over time.

Action Plan for Prolongation of Nephrogenesis in Preterm and Growth Restricted Babies: Explore Ultrastructure of the Nephrogenic Zone, Identify a Molecular Target, Select a Viable Drug and Find a Path for Administration.

A large amount of investigations informs about primary steps of mammalian kidney development such as anlage of the organ and initial nephron formation, while only few data exists about the late phase of human kidney development. In particular, little attention was up to date addressed to the decrease of morphogenic activity in the nephrogenic zone short before birth and the vanishing of all stem cell niches aligned beyond the organ capsule. There is evidence that molecular controlling of this normal but degenerative developmental process also plays a decisive role in the kidneys of preterm and growth restricted babies. Although they are born in a phase of active nephrogenesis, a substantial percentage of them evolves oligonephropathy, formation of atypical glomeruli and immaturity of parenchyma. Pathologic findings point out that independent from chemical nature all suspected hampering influences sublimate in the nephrogenic zone. However, it is unknown, whether impaired nephrogenesis is locally caused by harming interstitial fluid, disturbance of morphogen signaling, unbalanced synthesis of extracellular matrix or limited cell to cell communication. Thus, first of all these issues must be resolved, then save application of medicines prolonging nephrogenesis waits for realization. Due to the unexpectedly complex microanatomy and physiology of the nephrogenic zone, it will be a particular challenge for the future.