Great obstetrical syndromes: It’s all in the placenta
Great obstetrical syndromes It’s all in the placenta Martin Gauster and Gernot Desoye Introduction The term “great obstetrical syndromes” was coined about a decade ago (1). It describes conditions that…
Integrated system biology approaches to fetal medicine problems
Integrated system biology approaches to fetal medicine problems Jezid Miranda, Fátima Crispi, and Eduard Gratacós Introduction Pregnancy is a physiological state that demands intricate and timely hormonal, immunological, metabolic, and…
The mother: Adaptation to pregnancy and normal metabolism
The mother Adaptation to pregnancy and normal metabolism Francesca Parisi, Alice Zavatta, Roberta Milazzo, and Irene Cetin Introduction During pregnancy, several maternal anatomical and physiological changes occur in order to ensure…
Whole exome and whole genome sequencing
Whole exome and whole genome sequencing Mary E. Norton Introduction Historically, prenatal diagnosis has focused on detection of chromosomal abnormalities, particularly trisomy 21. Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) now provides higher-resolution…
Maternal plasma cell-free DNA screening: Integration into clinical practice
Maternal plasma cell-free DNA screening Integration into clinical practice Howard Cuckle and Peter Benn Introduction Maternal plasma cell-free (cf) DNA testing is more effective in screening for Down, Edwards, and…
Maternal plasma cell-free DNA screening: Basic science and applications
Maternal plasma cell-free DNA screening Basic science and applications Peter Benn and Howard Cuckle Introduction In 1997, Lo and colleagues reported that plasma from pregnant women carrying male fetuses contained…
