Local impact of 'Antenatal Screening for Down syndrome and other conditions' on diagnosis and outcomes in a fetal medicine centre in New Zealand.

Aim: In 2010, the National Screening Unit of the Ministry of Health launched 'Antenatal Screening for Down syndrome and other conditions'. Our aim was to assess the local impact of the new screening process on the number and outcomes of women attending a south island Fetal Medicine Centre.

Methods: Retrospective audit; two time periods (T1 and T2) were reviewed.

C-type natriuretic peptide in complicated pregnancy: increased secretion precedes adverse events.

Context: C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), a vasoactive product of the endothelium, is markedly increased during placentation in ovine pregnancy and is further stimulated by nutrient restriction. Whether CNP products change in human pregnancy is unknown.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to compare serial changes in maternal plasma CNP peptides during normal pregnancy with changes in pregnancy complicated by adverse events and relate these to fetal growth and placental CNP content.