Prenatal parvovirus B19 infection.

Parvovirus B19 (B19V) causes erythema infectiosum, a.k.a.

Pentaerythrityl tetranitrate improves the outcome of children born to mothers with compromised uterine perfusion-12-months follow-up and safety data of the double-blind randomized PETN trial.

Background: This is a follow-up study to the pentaerythrityl tetranitrate randomized controlled multicenter trial that reports neonatal outcome data of newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care units and outcome data of the offspring at 12 months of age.

Objective: We present data on adverse events reported during the study to document the safety of pentaerythrityl tetranitrate treatment during pregnancy. To further evaluate the effects of pentaerythrityl tetranitrate on neonatal and long-term outcomes, we present follow up data from of 240 children at 12 months of age, including information on height, weight, head circumference, developmental milestones, and the presence of chronic disease and of 144 newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit during the trial.

Importance of a detailed anomaly scan after a cfDNA test indicating fetal trisomy 21, 18 or 13.

Objective: To investigate the effect of the presence or absence of fetal anomalies and soft markers diagnosed by ultrasound on positive predictive value (PPV) 21, 18 and 13 in pregnancies with a high-risk cfDNA result.

Methods: Retrospective study including singleton pregnancies with high-risk NIPT results for common trisomies followed by invasive testing. The cases were grouped by gestational age at the time of invasive testing and by the presence or absence of fetal abnormalities or soft markers.

Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Pregnancy - Recommendations of the Working Group on Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine (AGG - Section on Maternal Disorders).

The AGG (Working Group for Obstetrics and Prenatal Diagnostics, Section Maternal Diseases) has issued these recommendations to improve the detection and management of Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnancy. Members of the Task Force developed the recommendations and statements presented here using recently published literature. The recommendations were adopted after a consensus process by members of the working group.

Obesity in prenatal medicine: a game changer?

Obesity is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a disease in its own right. Moreover, obesity is an increasingly concerning public health issue across the world and its prevalence is rising amongst women of reproductive age. The fertility of over-weight and obese women is reduced and they experience a higher rate of miscarriage.

Screen-positive rate in cell free DNA screening for trisomy 21.

Objective: To assess whether the fetal fraction (FF) has an impact on the screen-positive rate (SPR) in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening for trisomy 21.

Methods: Retrospective analysis based on samples analyzed using the Harmony Prenatal Test (Roche Inc). Due to the size of the data set, we focused on the SPR, which was stratified according to the maternal age, weight, gestational age, and FF distribution.

Timing of antenatal corticosteroid administration in pregnancies with increased risk for premature birth: A retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To investigate how often antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) were administered within the optimal time frame in women at risk of preterm birth (PTB) in relation to several diagnoses and risk factors.

Method: The study was designed as a retrospective cohort trial, in which the data of all births taking place in 2016 in the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate were evaluated. Frequency analyses, subgroup analyses, and logistic regression were performed.

Prenatal testing for Imprinting Disorders: A clinical perspective.

Imprinting Disorders (ImpDis) are a group of congenital conditions caused by aberrant imprinting resulting in disturbed expression of parentally imprinted genes. ImpDis are rarely associated with major malformations, but pre- and/or postnatal growth and nutrition are often affected. In some ImpDis, behavioral, developmental, metabolic and neurological symptoms might present in the perinatal context or later in life, and in single ImpDis, there is a higher risk of tumors in childhood.

How to do a 3D uterus ultrasound?

Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound is an invaluable tool in the detection and evaluation of many uterine anomalies and improves upon the traditional approach of two-dimensional (2D) ultrasonography. We aim to describe an easy way of assessing the uterine coronal plane using the basic three-dimensional ultrasound in everyday gynecological practice.

Screen-positive rate in cell-free DNA screening for microdeletion 22q11.2.

Objective: To examine the impact of the fetal fraction (FF) on the screen-positive rate in screening for microdeletion 22q11.2.

Methods: This study is based on samples that were analyzed using the Harmony® Prenatal Test (Roche Inc).

Effect of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) on the development of fetal growth restriction in pregnancies with impaired uteroplacental perfusion at midgestation-a randomized trial.

Background: Fetal growth restriction is strongly associated with impaired placentation and abnormal uteroplacental blood flow. Nitric oxide donors such as pentaerythritol tetranitrate are strong vasodilators and protect the endothelium. Recently, we demonstrated in a randomized controlled pilot study a 38% relative risk reduction for the development of fetal growth restriction or perinatal death following administration of pentaerythritol tetranitrate to pregnant women at risk, identified by impaired uterine perfusion at midgestation.

Basic Gynecologic Ultrasound Examination (Level I): DEGUM, ÖGUM, and SGUM Recommendations.

Ultrasound has become an essential diagnostic tool in gynecology, and every practicing gynecologist must be able to differentiate normal from pathologic findings, such as benign or malignant pelvic masses, adnexal torsion, pelvic inflammation disease, endometriosis, ectopic pregnancies, and congenital uterine malformations at least on a basic level. A standardized approach to the correct settings of the ultrasound system, the indications for gynecologic ultrasound investigations, and the sonographic appearance of normal anatomy and common pathologic findings in the standard planes are important prerequisites for safe and confident clinical management of gynecologic patients. Based on current publications and different national and international guidelines, updated DEGUM, ÖGUM, and SGUM recommendations for the performance of basic gynecologic ultrasound examinations were established.

A single center experience of prenatal parent-fetus trio exome sequencing for pregnancies with congenital anomalies.

Objectives: To examine the diagnostic yield of trio exome sequencing in fetuses with multiple structural defects with no pathogenic findings in cytogenetic and microarray analyses.

Methods: We recruited 51 fetuses with two or more defects, non-immune fetal hydrops or fetal akinesia deformation syndrome|or fetal akinesia deformation sequence (FADS). Trio exome sequencing was performed on DNA from chorionic villi samples and parental blood.

Prenatal sonographic findings in confirmed cases of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome.

Background: Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) is a common genetic condition and prenatal diagnosis is difficult due to heterogeneous expression of this syndrome and rather non-specific ultrasound findings. Objective of this study was to examine the prenatal ultrasound findings in fetuses with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS).

Methods: Retrospective assessment of 18 pregnancies that were seen at three tertiary referral centers (Universities of Bonn, Tuebingen and Nuernberg / Germany).

Universal Cell Free DNA or Contingent Screening for Trisomy 21: Does It Make a Difference? A Comparative Study with Real Data.

Objective: The aim of the objective was to compare the detection rate for trisomy 21 of universal cell free DNA (cfDNA) screening with contingent screening.

Methods: Retrospective study was carried out at 3 German centers. The study included euploid and trisomy 21 pregnancies where cfDNA and first trimester (FT) screening assessment was carried out.