First and early second trimester fetal heart screening.

Purpose Of Review: This review describes the recent advances in timing and effectiveness of first and early second trimester fetal echocardiography screening.

Recent Findings: Fetal echocardiography can now be reliably performed from 11 weeks' gestation owing to improvements in ultrasound transducers and processors. Three-dimensional and four-dimensional ultrasound modalities in image acquisition and postprocessing analysis, including spatio-temporal image correlation, rendering three-dimensional power Doppler and high definition power flow Doppler, and B-flow have further improved our capabilities in this area.

3D and 4D ultrasound in fetal cardiac scanning: a new look at the fetal heart.

Over the last decade we have been witness to a burgeoning literature on three-dimensional (3D) and four-dimensional (4D) ultrasound-based studies of the fetal cardiovascular system. Recent advances in the technology of 3D/4D ultrasound systems allow almost real-time 3D/4D fetal heart scans. It appears that 3D/4D ultrasound in fetal echocardiography may make a significant contribution to interdisciplinary management team consultation, health delivery systems, parental counseling, and professional training.

Comparison of sucking patterns at introduction of oral feeding and at term in Israeli and American preterm infants.

Background: It has been hypothesized that early initiation of oral feeding in premature infants may enhance the maturation of sucking patterns.

Aim: To compare preterm infant sucking characteristics in urban level III neonatal care units in the USA and Israel. The two hospitals have different practices regarding the introduction of oral feeding.

Gender-related response to fluvastatin in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia.

Hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors are potent cholesterol reducing agents that have been successfully used for the treatment of heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). A recent investigation revealed that several constitutional and genetic factors significantly determined the response of plasma lipids and lipoproteins to the HMG CoA reductase inhibitor fluvastatin. Gender has been identified through multivariate analysis as a major determinant of the plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol response.