Perinatal Psychoneuroimmunology of Prenatal Stress and Its Effects on Fetal and Postnatal Brain Development.

Prenatal stress (PS) impacts early behavioral, neuroimmune, and cognitive development. Pregnant rat models have been very valuable in examining the mechanisms of such fetal programming. A pregnant sheep model of maternal stress offers the unique advantages of chronic in utero monitoring and manipulation.

Microglial and Macrophage Plasticity and Regional Cerebral Blood Flow in the Prenatal Brain and Gut Under Vagus Nerve Stimulation.

An intricate relationship exists between the vagus nerve and systemic immune cell regulation, specifically during fetal development. Little is known about the connection between the vagus nerve and the brain's regional circulatory control. In this chapter, we present a methodology for studying the impact of vagus nerve signaling on these connections in the developing fetus using the sheep model for human fetal physiology.

Predicting Patients Requiring Treatment for Depression in the Postpartum Period Using Common Electronic Medical Record Data Available Antepartum.

Introduction: Depression requiring treatment in the postpartum period significantly impacts maternal and neonatal health. Although preventive management of depression in pregnancy has been shown to decrease the negative impacts, current methods for identifying at-risk patients are insufficient. Given the complexity of the diagnosis and interplay of clinical/demographic factors, we tested whether machine learning techniques can accurately identify at-risk patients in the postpartum period.

Intrathecal Nicardipine for Severe Intractable Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome: A Novel Case Report.

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is a poorly understood but increasingly recognized entity, likely multifactorial in nature and characterized by diffuse cerebral vasospasm that presents as sudden, intense, and fluctuating headaches. Due to insufficient evidence, there is currently no consensus on RCVS treatment guidelines. However, nicardipine, an L-type calcium channel blocker, may prove effective in RCVS treatment because of its ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier.

Factors Determining the Success of the Chronically Instrumented Non-anesthetized Fetal Sheep Model of Human Development: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background The chronically instrumented non-anesthetized fetal sheep (CINAFS) model has been a mainstay of human fetal development research for the past 60 years. As a large "two for one" animal model, involving the instrumentation of the ewe and her fetus, the model poses challenges to implement de novo and maintain overtime at the highest standards of operating procedures to ensure ongoing performance. A common yet conventionally underreported issue researchers face is a high rate of animal loss.

Wearable technology for health monitoring during pregnancy: an observational cross-sectional survey study.

Purpose: To evaluate how women of child-bearing age perceive the use of remote fetal ECG monitoring technologies. Telemedicine has advanced to the forefront of healthcare delivery, including maternal-fetal medicine. Smart wearable electrocardiogram (ECG) devices can enable pregnant women to monitor their health and that of their fetuses.