An easy and reproducible technique for direct fetal chromosome analysis after chorionic biopsy is described. Very high colchicine concentration and rehydratation of the fixed villi are the two original points of this method.

Biopsy↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Fetal heart. Present investigative means].

Non invasive exploration of the fetal heart has been greatly facilitated by utilisation of high resolution echography using pulsed Doppler combined with B-scan. Investigation of the fetal heart in human medicine opens three important fields of interest. Better knowledge of fetal hemodynamics. Measurement of fetal heart function. Recognition of congenital heart disease. Acquisition of some fundamental knowledge is required for an ultrasonic approach to fetal echocardiography. Embryogenetic data lead to an understanding of the periods of vulnerability for each cardiac segment, whereas an understanding of physiology of the fetal circulation helps to explain the consequences of fetal congenital heart diseases and the methods used to evaluate fetal cardiac function. One section is devoted to the etiology of congenital heart disease. The most important cardiopathies encountered in cases of chromosomal anomalies and genetic disease as well as those due to environmental causes are presented so that the echographist may relate the examination to the clinical picture. In most instances the diagnosis of congenital heart disease is made by routine morphologic scanning of the fetal heart. Indications are given for the best orientation of the scans. All echographists should have precise knowledge of the echographic semeiology of the normal heart. When a cardiopathy or an anomaly of cardiac rhythm are recognized or suspected, the examination should be repeated with help of a cardiopediatrician so as to make an exact diagnosis and take the right decision. Study of fetal heart function is the most recent field for progress and covers in addition to the evaluation of congenital heart disease the development of new parameters allowing recognition of fetal jeopardy. Pulsed Doppler has already allowed the acquisition of interesting facts and certainly is one of the most exciting new inroads for progress in the field of fetal cardiology.

Echocardiography↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Direct intraperitoneal insemination: first results confirmed.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Acute versus chronic conditions for studies of fetal nutrient requirements: applicability to the human.

In order to validate results obtained in 'acute' versus 'chronic' experimental conditions, two fetal sheep nutrients, lactate and glucose, have been determined in 'acute' conditions and compared with the 'chronic' data in the literature. Maternal and fetal blood glucose in 'acute' conditions was in the range of published 'chronic' data. Fetal blood lactate was similar in 'acute' and during 'chronic' conditions. Maternal and fetal veno-arterial (VA) differences were in the same direction in 'acute' and in 'chronic' conditions for both lactate and glucose and of the same magnitude for lactate. For glucose, a good relationship was observed between umbilical VA differences and maternal arterial concentrations for all 'acute' and 'chronic' values. Thus no fundamental differences appear in the results obtained in 'acute' or during 'chronic' conditions. The applicability of such animal results to the human and the use of acute conditions to study fetal nutrition in the human are discussed.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[[Utero-placental hemodynamics during normal and pathological pregnancies. Its changes under the influence of a beta-sympathicomimetic: salbutamol].

Utero-placental circulation was studied using a gamma-camera which measures the appearance of a radio-active bolus of transferin tagged with Indium 113 in the region of the placenta and of the myometrium. The technique adopted for the calculations that are carried out allows a ratio between the placental blood flow and the myometrial blood flow to be established. The measurements that were taken in the last trimester of pregnancy showed that there was a significant difference between the ratio in normal pregnancies and in those that resulted in the deliveries of small-for-date babies. The foetus is small-for-date in 80 per cent of cases when the placental blood flow (Dp) to the myometrial blood flow (Dm), ratio is less than 80. It is small-for-dates in 25 per cent of cases if the Dp/Dm is between 0.80 and 1.60. If the Dp/Dm ratio is about 1.60 the foetus is normal in 93 per cent of cases. When we compared especially the variations between the Dp/Dm ratio during the administration of Salbutamol, we showed in the light of work already published that the intravenous administration of 50 mug of Salbutamol brought about a lowering of resistance in the placental blood vessels, and probably an increase in the blood flow at the maternal placental site, whereas, on the other hand when 500 mug of Salbutamol were injected intravenously the result was a deficiency in placental blood flow.

Albuterol↗

PubMedDate not supplied