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Background: Current methods for fetal surveillance during labor have significant limitations. Since continuous fetal cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) monitoring during labor may add valuable information about fetal well-being, we developed a new ultrasound system called VisiBeam. VisiBeam consists of a flat probe (diameter 11 mm) with a cylindric plane wave beam, a vacuum attachment (diameter 40 mm), a scanner, and a display., Aims: To assess the feasibility of VisiBeam for continuous fetal CBFV monitoring during labor, and to study changes in CBFV during uterine contractions., Study Design: Descriptive observational study., Subjects: Twenty-five healthy women in labor with a singleton fetus in cephalic presentation at term. A transducer was placed over a fontanelle and attached to the fetal head with vacuum suction., Outcome Measures: Achievement of continuous good quality fetal CBFV measures, such as peak systolic velocity, time averaged maximum velocity and end diastolic velocity. Trend plots of velocity measures display changes in CBFV between and during uterine contractions., Results: Good quality recordings during and between contractions were achieved in 16/25 fetuses. In twelve fetuses, CBFV measures were stable during uterine contractions. Four fetuses showed patterns of reduced CBFV velocity measures during contractions., Conclusions: Continuous fetal CBFV monitoring by VisiBeam was feasible in 64 % of the subjects during labor. The system displayed variations of fetal CBFV not available by today's monitoring techniques and motivates for further studies. However, improvement of the probe attachment is required to ensure good quality signal in a higher proportion of fetuses during labor., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest NTNU, St. Olavs University Hospital, H.T., K.Å.S and S.A.N may possibly benefit financially from a future potential commercialization of VisiBeam. H.T. and S.A.N are co-inventors of NeoDoppler (a patented ultrasound system based on the same technology), and have part-time positions in CIMON medical, the company that is responsible for commercialization of NeoDoppler. H.T. and S.A.N. are among the shareholders in CIMON Medical, and S.A.N is board member in CIMON medical. K.M.S. and A.E.H. declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Women's autonomy and an inclusive society for all individuals are highly valued in Norway. The Norwegian Biotechnology Act changed in 2020 allowing first-trimester screening and cell-free DNA for common trisomies to all pregnant women. However, implementing non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in a public antenatal care program is difficult, because many patients, politicians, and medical professionals do not consider trisomy 21 a severe medical disease. Screening for trisomies at an early gestation might inevitably lead to an increase in pregnancy terminations and making cost-benefit calculations is ethically challenging. Moreover, offering NIPT to all pregnant women is debatable because of the lower prevalence of fetal trisomies in younger women. Therefore, appropriate genetic pre-test counseling is essential. Furthermore, organizing the service between private institutions and public hospitals poses another debate and challenges both quality and equal access to health services for women across the country., (© 2022 The Authors. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NFOG).)

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a rare inflammatory connective tissue disease that affects mainly women, often in their childbearing years. The disease entails an increased risk of fetal and maternal pregnancy complications. Inflammatory active disease and the occurrence of anticardiolipin antibodies are known risk factors. Planning before pregnancy and multidisciplinary structured follow-up reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancy outcomes. Only in exceptional cases should women with systemic lupus erythematosus be advised against pregnancy.

Background: The teratogenic effects of alcohol are well documented, but there is a lack of screening methods to detect alcohol use during pregnancy. Phosphatidylethanol 16:0/18:1 (PEth) is a specific and sensitive biomarker reflecting alcohol intake up to several weeks after consumption. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of positive PEth values as an indicator of early prenatal alcohol exposure in a general population of pregnant women., Methods: Rhesus typing is routinely performed in Norway in all pregnancies around gestational week 12. Rhesus-negative women have an additional test taken around week 24. Blood samples submitted to St. Olav University Hospital in Trøndelag, Norway, for Rhesus typing during the period September 2017 to October 2018 were collected. A total of 4,533 whole blood samples from 4,067 women were analyzed for PEth (limit of quantification of 0.003 µM)., Results: Fifty-eight women had a positive PEth sample. Of these, 50 women were positive around gestational week 12, 3 women were positive around week 24, and in 5 cases, the timing was unknown. There were no significant differences in proportions of women with positive PEth values related to age, or rural versus urban residency., Conclusion: In an unselected pregnant population in Norway, 1.4% had a positive PEth sample around gestational week 12, whereas 0.4% had a positive sample around week 24. The use of PEth as an alcohol biomarker should be further investigated as a diagnostic tool in the antenatal setting., (© 2021 The Authors. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Research Society on Alcoholism.)