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Herein we report the case of a neonate with a prenatally diagnosed large pulmonary arteriovenous malformation, managed with minimally invasive hemodynamic monitoring in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The combination of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Pressure Recording Analytical Method could guide neonatal management of critical cases of vascular anomalies: immediate data are offered to clinicians, from which therapeutic decisions such as timing of surgical resection are made to achieve a positive outcome. We also systemically collected and summarized information on patients' characteristics of previous cases reported in literature to data, and we compared them to our case.

Some maternal infections, contracted before or during pregnancy, can be transmitted to the fetus, during gestation (congenital infection), during labor and childbirth (perinatal infection) and through breastfeeding (postnatal infection). The agents responsible for these infections can be viruses, bacteria, protozoa, fungi. Among the viruses most frequently responsible for congenital infections are Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Herpes simplex 1–2, Herpes virus 6, Varicella zoster. Moreover Hepatitis B and C virus, HIV, Parvovirus B19 and non-polio Enteroviruses when contracted during pregnancy may involve the fetus or newborn at birth. Recently, new viruses have emerged, SARS-Cov-2 and Zika virus, of which we do not yet fully know the characteristics and pathogenic power when contracted during pregnancy. Viral infections in pregnancy can damage the fetus (spontaneous abortion, fetal death, intrauterine growth retardation) or the newborn (congenital anomalies, organ diseases with sequelae of different severity). Some risk factors specifically influence the incidence of transmission to the fetus: the timing of the infection in pregnancy, the order of the infection, primary or reinfection or chronic, the duration of membrane rupture, type of delivery, socio-economic conditions and breastfeeding. Frequently infected neonates, symptomatic at birth, have worse outcomes than asymptomatic. Many asymptomatic babies develop long term neurosensory outcomes. The way in which the virus interacts with the maternal immune system, the maternal-fetal interface and the placenta explain these results and also the differences that are observed from time to time in the fetal‑neonatal outcomes of maternal infections. The maternal immune system undergoes functional adaptation during pregnancy, once thought as physiological immunosuppression. This adaptation, crucial for generating a balance between maternal immunity and fetus, is necessary to promote and support the pregnancy itself and the growth of the fetus. When this adaptation is upset by the viral infection, the balance is broken, and the infection can spread and lead to the adverse outcomes previously described. In this review we will describe the main viral harmful infections in pregnancy and the potential mechanisms of the damages on the fetus and newborn.

To serially assess fetal cardiac dimensions in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and their relation to disease severity. Retrospective analysis of CDH cases and matched controls. Mitral (MVd) and tricuspid (TVd) valve diameters, left (LV) and right (RV) ventricular length and area, Z-scores, were serially assessed at 24–26, 30–32, and 35–37 weeks gestational age (GA). In CDH cases MVd, MVd Z-score, and LV area were significantly reduced at 24–26 and 35–37 weeks GA. TVd, TVd Z-score, and RV area were significantly reduced at 24–26 weeks. RV area Z-score increased with advancing GA. MVd and MVd Z-score were significantly lower at 24–26 weeks GA in CDH who had a combined outcome of death and/or ECMO. LV hypoplasia in CDH is characterized by reduced MVd from 24 weeks GA. MVd, and the ratio of mitral and tricuspid valve diameters at later gestations, may be potential predictors of disease severity.

To compare ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the assessment of mediastinal shift angles (MSAs) in fetuses affected by isolated left congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). The use of MRI-MSA and US-MSA as prognostic factor for postnatal survival in fetal left CDH was also explored.This was an observational study of 29 fetuses with prenatally diagnosed isolated left CDH, assessed with both US and MRI examinations between January 2015 and December 2018. The US-MSA measurements performed within 2 weeks from the MRI assessment were considered for the analysis. The primary outcome was the postnatal survival rate.No significant difference between US and MRI MSAs was detected (MRI and US can be interchangeably used for the assessment of MSA in prenatally diagnosed isolated left CDH. Moreover, MSA measured by both US and MRI was confirmed to be correlated with perinatal outcome in terms of survival.

The authors report a positive experience in controlling severe postpartum hemorrhage after cesarean section performed for placenta praevia by using an inflated intrauterine balloon and avoiding any further invasive surgery.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between insulin levels and uter-oplacental vascular resistance in third-trimester pregnancies complicated by impaired carbohydrate tolerance.Methods: Fifty-two patients were admitted to the study. After a 3–h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), a color Doppler evaluation of uterine and umbilical arteries was performed.Results: According to O'Sullivan criteria, 14 patients had impaired gestational glucose tolerance (IGGT), 18 patients had gestational diabetes (GDM), and 20 subjects had normal glucose tolerance and served as controls. On the basis of the insulinemic response to OGTT, the patients were then classified as normoinsulinemic or hyperinsulinemic, with a cutoff value for the area under the curve of 240,360 pmol/L × 180 min.Hyperinsulinemic patients showed greater values of the “highest” uterine artery resistance index (RI) when compared to controls (P < 0.01); the “lowest” uterine artery RI was slightly, but not significantly, increased. Moreover, a signific...