The introduction of free mother and child services in South Africa in 1994, changed the way in which the services were delivered. There was an increase in the number of women seeking services, therefore a need arose to look at what constituted essential, basic services. The introduction of the maternal held card in State hospitals enabled the women to seek ante-natal care at the venue most accessible to her. This document also involved her in the responsibility of her own care and that of her unborn child. This study explored the information which mothers had been given ante-natally to assist them with the task of bearing the responsibility of their unborn child's health, which they had unilaterally been given by the Healthcare providers. A descriptive study was undertaken and 221 primigravid patients were interviewed at a large academic hospital post-delivery using a structured interview schedule. Their records were also reviewed retrospectively for type of delivery and foetal outcome. Results of the studies found that the mothers were given insufficient information to equip them with responsibility of assessing foetal health. Healthcare providers, it was found, did not give specific information and it appeared that at times, the mothers report of decreased foetal movement was disregarded. Implications of the study are that healthcare providers need to pay attention to how they provide information. The women interviewed clearly made the distinction between what was seen as 'teaching' and what was perceived as information given. It is also important to note that although the health workers understand the implications of foetal well-being, patients do not necessarily share the same insight or sense of responsibility. This has implications for the delivery of antenatal services in South Africa.

Antenatal fetal surveillance is a field of increasing importance in modern obstetrics. Measurements extracted (such as fetal heart rate) from antenatal fetal monitoring techniques have the potential to reduce the social, personal and financial burdens of fetal death on families, health care systems and the community. Techniques to monitor the fetus through pregnancy have been developed with the aim of providing information to enable the clinician to diagnose fetal wellbeing, characterise development and detect abnormality. An early diagnosis before delivery may increase the effectiveness of the appropriate treatment. Over the years, various research efforts have been carried out in the field of fetal electrocardiography by attaching surface electrodes to the maternal body. Unfortunately the desired fetal heartbeat signals at the electrode output are buried in an additive mixture of undesired interference disturbances. In this thesis, a non-invasive fetal electrocardiogram machine has been designed, constructed and implemented. This machine is composed of three modified electrocardiogram circuits and an external soundcard. Data was acquired from four surface electrodes placed on the maternal body. Eleven pregnant subjects, with a gestation age between the 30th and 40th weeks of pregnancy, were used to investigate the validity of this machine. Fetal R-waves were detected in 72.7 percent of subjects. The development of a non-invasive machine, capable of detecting and recording valuable anatomic and electrophysiological information of a fetus, represents an important tool in clinical and investigative obstetrics.

No description available.

No description available.

Advances in fetal cardiovascular MRI have been limited by the absence of a reliable cardiac gating signal. Recently, metric optimized gating (MOG) has been proposed as a solution to this limitation. In this thesis, I have developed and validated MOG for cine imaging of the fetal heart. ECG gated cine MR data of the adult heart were acquired from a healthy volunteer to compare MOG reconstructions to conventional ECG reconstructions. The image quality of ECG and MOG reconstructions was compared as was the difference between MOG and ECG trigger times. Fetal images were also acquired, their quality evaluated by experienced radiologists, and the theoretical error in the MOG trigger times calculated. Excellent agreement between ECG and MOG reconstructions was observed. Using MOG, the world’s first gated MR images of the human fetal heart were obtained. Small moving structures were visualized during radial contraction, thus capturing normal fetal cardiac wall motion.

Advances in fetal cardiovascular MRI have been limited by the absence of a reliable cardiac gating signal. Recently, metric optimized gating (MOG) has been proposed as a solution to this limitation. In this thesis, I have developed and validated MOG for cine imaging of the fetal heart. ECG gated cine MR data of the adult heart were acquired from a healthy volunteer to compare MOG reconstructions to conventional ECG reconstructions. The image quality of ECG and MOG reconstructions was compared as was the difference between MOG and ECG trigger times. Fetal images were also acquired, their quality evaluated by experienced radiologists, and the theoretical error in the MOG trigger times calculated. Excellent agreement between ECG and MOG reconstructions was observed. Using MOG, the world’s first gated MR images of the human fetal heart were obtained. Small moving structures were visualized during radial contraction, thus capturing normal fetal cardiac wall motion.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst. / Härtill 7 uppsatser.

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No description available.

A hipertrofia cardíaca é comumente observada em recém-nascidos de mães diabéticas (RNMD), podendo levar a um quadro de insuficiência cardíaca nas primeiras horas de vida (57, 81, 16, 127, 163, 180, 181). Esta hipertrofia pode acometer todas as paredes cardíacas, mas localiza-se preferencialmente no septo interventricular e no ventrículo esquerdo (52, 81, 87, 128, 140, 180, 181 ). Vários autores observaram padrões ecocardiográficos de disfunção diastólica e hipercontratilidade miocárdica nestes recém-nascidos (52, 128, 136, 185). A causa deste crescimento cardíaco exagerado permanece obscura, já que não há um aumento da pós-carga, que justifique uma resposta adaptativa hipertrófica do miocárdio. A hipótese atualmente aceita é a de que o estímulo desencadeante desta hipertrofia miocárdica seja metabólico. Os fatores de crescimento semelhantes à insulina (IGFs) são pepetídeos mitogênicos capazes de sintetizar proteínas em vários tecidos, através de um mecanismo autócrino ou parácrino (4, 8, 10, 16, 20, 22, 27, 30, 32, 38, 44, 54, 56, 61, 70, 97, 106, 134, 177, 178, 179, 219). O RNA mensageiro de IGF-1 (RNAmiGF-1) é produzido em uma variedade de tecidos, incluindo o miocárdio e os músculos esqueléticos. Embora existam vários estudos demonstrando a participação dos IGFs na hipertrofia cardíaca provocada por um aumento da pós-carga em animais de laboratório, não existem trabalhos demonstrando a participação dos IGFs na hipertrofia cardíaca em RNMD, "in vivo". Os objetivos do presente estudo foram, verificar se havia associação entre os níveis plasmáticos dos IGFs e suas proteínas ligadoras (IGFBP) e hipertrofia cardíaca nos RNMD e se esta hipertrofia estava associada à macrossomia neonatal, refletindo uma resposta generalizada a um aumento de substrato metabólico. Exame físico, antropometria e coleta sangüínea foram realizados em 140 RNs nas primeiras três horas de vida. Destes, 111 (79%) foram examinados por ecocardiografia uni e bidimensional com Doppler e mapeamento de fluxo a cores. Dosagens dos IGFs, IGFBPs foram obtidas em 90 (64%) dos RN e dosagens de glicose em todos os pacientes. Dos 111 RN estudados, 61 (55%) eram adequados para a idade gestacional (AIG), 40 (36%) eram grandes para a idade gestacional e 10 (9%) pequenos para a idade gestacional (PIG). Diabetes estava presente em 44 (39%) das mães durante o pré-natal. O nível médio de IGF-1 foi 24,5 (± 15,4)ng/ml nos AIG, 42,59 (± 21,5)ng/ml nos GIG e 8,2 (± 4,02)ng/ml nos PIG (p<0,001 ). O nível médio de IGFBP-1 não foi diferente nos três grupos. O nível médio de IGFBP-3 foi 641,88 (± 155,9)ng/ml nos AIG, 754,34 (± 207,35)ng/ml nos GIG e 399,1 (± 202,49)ng/ml nos PIG (p<0,001 ). Hipertrofia do septo interventricular (HSIV) foi encontrada em 18 RN (16%) do total da amostra. Destes, 16 (89%) eram RNMD. Sete (39%) dos pacientes com hipertrofia septal eram AIG e 11 (61%) eram GIG. A média de peso dos RN sem HSIV foi 3,29 (± 0,64) kg e dos RN com HSIV foi 4,07 (± 0,67) kg (p<0,001 ). As médias da razão E:A mitral e da razão E:A tricúspide não foram diferentes nos três grupos assim com não foram diferentes entre os RN com e sem hipertofia septal. O tempos médios de desaceleração mitral e tricúspide também não foram diferentes nos três grupos assim como não foram diferentes entre os RN com e sem hipertrofia septal. Os níveis médios de IGF-1 nos RN sem HSIV foi 25,97 (± 18, 17) ng/ml e dos RN com HSIV foi 48,26 (± 21,89)ng/ml (p<0,001 ). O coeficiente de correlação entre IGF-1 e diâmetro septal (OS) foi de 0,57 (p<0,01) e entre o peso de nascimento e o OS foi de 0,48 (p<0,01 ). O coeficiente de correlação entre IGF-1 e o peso de nascimento foi 0,55 (p<0,001 ), entre IGF-1 e IGFBP-1 foi- 0,40 (p<0,001) e entre IGF-1 e IGFBP-3 foi 0,57 (p<0,001 ). Na análise das variáveis por regressão linear múltipla, apenas IGF-1 e a presença de diabetes materna contribuíram significativamente para a hipertrofia do septo interventricular. Os resultados encontrados permitem concluir que os níveis de IGF-1 e a presença de diabetes durante a gestação estão diretamente relacionados à espessura do septo interventricular, que os níveis de IGF-1 estão diretamente relacionados com o peso de nascimento e que o peso de nascimento não tem influência significativa na espessura do septo interventricular. Os resultados também nos permitem concluir que não há diferença nos índices ecocardiográficos de função diastólica em RN com e sem hipertrofia septal transitória, na primeira semana de vida. / Cardiac hypertrophy is a frequent finding in newborns of diabetic mothers (NBDM) and can lead to congestive heart failure in the first few hours of life (57, 81, 16, 127, 163, 180, 181 ). This hypertrophy preferentially involves the interventricular septum and the left ventricle but it can be found in the entire myocardium (52, 81, 87, 128, 140, 180, 181). Different observations have identified echocardiographic patterns of diastolic dysfunction and myocardial hypercontractility in these newborns (52, 128, 136, 185). The reason for this hypertrophy remains unclear as there is no increased afterload to justify and adaptive hypertrophic myocardial response. The current hypothesis points towards a metabolic stimulus as responsible for this myocardial hypertrophy. lnsulin Growth Factors (IGFs) are mitogenic peptides that through autocrine or paracrine mechanisms are able to induce protein synthesis in different tissues (4, 8, 10, 16, 20, 22, 27, 30, 32, 38, 44, 54, 56, 61, 70, 97, 106, 134, 177, 178, 179, 219). Messenger RNA for IGF-1 (RNAm IGF-1) has been identified in a variety of tissues including myocardium and esqueletal muscle. Although there is evidence demonstrating a role for IGFs in the cardiac hypertrophy caused by an increased afterload in laboratory animais, there is no work addressing the role of IGFs in the cardiac hypertrophy of NBDM "in vivo". The objective of this work is to identify a possible correlation between plasma leveis of IGFs, their binding proteins (IGFBP) and the cardiac hypertrophy in newborns of diabetic mothers. Furthermore, we attempt to relate this hypertrophy to neonatal macrossomia, possibly reflecting a generalized response to an increase in a metabolic substrate. Physical Exam, antrophometry and blood sampling were performed in 140 newborns in the first three hours of life. Of these, 111 (79%) were examined with uni and bi dimensional echocardiography with Colar Doppler. Plasma leveis of IGFs and IGFBPs were obtained in 90 (64%) of the newborns and glucose leveis in ali of them. Of the 111 RN studied, 61 (55%) were appropriate for gestational age (AGA), 40 (36%) were large for gestational age (LGA) and 1 O (9%) were small for gestational age (SGA). In 44 (39%) of the mothers gestational diabetes had been documented during pre-natal care. The median IGF-1 levei was 24,5 (± 15,4) ng/ml in the AGA, 42,59 (± 21 ,5) in the LGA and 8,2 (± 4,02) in the SGA (p<0,001). The median levei of IGFBP-1 was 224,73 (± 98,08) ng/ml in the AGA, 168,89 (± 93,89) in the LGA and 256 (± 61 ,67) in the SGA {p=0,008). The mediai levei of IGFBP-3 was 641,88 (± 155,9) in the AGA, 754,34 (± 207,35) in the LGA and 399,1 O (± 202,49) in the SGA group (p<0,001 ). Septal hypertrophy was found in 18 (16%) newborns. Of these, 16 (89%) were NBDM. Seven (39%) of the patients with septal hypertrophy were AGA and 11 (61 %) were LGA. The median weight of the newborns without interventricular septal hypertrophy was 3,29 (± 0,64) kg, while the median weight of those with septal hypertrophy was 4,07 (± 0,67) kg {p<0,001 ). The ABSTRACT median of the mitral and tricuspid E:A ratios were not different in the three groups of patients. There was no difference also in the E:A ratios in the newborns with or without septal hypertrophy. The median mitral and tricuspid deceleration times were not different in the three groups. Also, there was no difference in the DT in the newborns with or without septal hypertrophy. The median leveis of IGF-1 in newborns without septal hypertrophy was 25,97 (± 18, 17) ng/ml while it was 48,26 (± 21 ,89) ng/ml in those with hypertrophy (p<0,001 ). The correlation coefficient between IGF-1 e and the septal diameter was 0,57 (p<0,01) and between birth weight and septal diameter it was 0,48 (p<0,01 ). The correlation coefficient between IGF-1 and birth weight was 0,55 (p<0,001 ), between IGF-1 and IGFBP-1 was 0,40 (p<0,001) and between IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 was 0,57 (p<0,001 ). In the multiple regression analysis, only IGF-1 and maternal diabetes contributed significantly for interventricular septal hypertrophy. Our results indicate that IGF-1 leveis and gestational diabetes are directly related to septal thickness at birth. Furthermore, IGF-1 leveis are directly related to birth weight and birth weight has no significant relation to septal thickness. We also found no difference in the echocardiographic ratios of diastolic function in newborns with or without transient septal. hypertrophy in the first week of life.