Fetal abdominal wall defects
The most common fetal abdominal wall defects are gastroschisis and omphalocele, both with a prevalence of about three in 10,000 births. Prenatal ultrasound has a high sensitivity for these abnormalities…
Facial cleft detected: Is the palate normal?
Despite advances in ultrasound technology, the sensitivity for detection of facial clefts at the routine mid-trimester details scan remains relatively poor. This can be improved by the use of a…
Diagnosis of spina bifida on ultrasound: Always termination?
Open spina bifida is a non-lethal fetal anomaly. Significant advances in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of open spina bifida have been made over the past 75 years. The most…
Increased nuchal translucency with normal karyotype and anomaly scan: What next?
Over the years, it has become clear that increased nuchal translucency is a marker for chromosomal abnormalities, and it is also associated with a wide spectrum of structural anomalies, genetic…
Ultrasound in prenatal diagnosis – Multiple Choice Answers for Vol. 28, No. 3
1. a) F b) F c) F d) T e) F Generally fetal tumours are extremely rare and abdominal and umbilical cord tumours during very early pregnancy have not been…
Heart disease in pregnancy – Multiple Choice Questions only for Vol. 28, No. 4
1. Which of the following is/are true about contraception in women with cardiac disease? a) As bosentan is a cytochrome P450 enzyme inhibitor, women with pulmonary arterial hypertension receiving bosentan…
Management of cardiac arrest in pregnancy
Cardiac arrest in pregnancy is a rare event in routine obstetric practice, but is increasing in frequency. Resuscitation of cardiac arrest is more complex for pregnant women because of a…
Obstetric anaesthesia and peripartum management
Anaesthetists play a key role in the management of parturients with cardiac disease. Pregnant women with cardiac disease should be seen antenatally in a high-risk obstetric anaesthesia clinic, and a…
Pregnancy and pulmonary hypertension
Pulmonary hypertension during pregnancy is associated with considerable risks of maternal mortality and morbidity. Our systematic review of the literature on the use of targeted treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension…
Pregnancy in inherited and acquired cardiomyopathies
Cardiomyopathy encompasses a wide spectrum of heart muscle disease, which can have an impact on the patient’s ability to sustain the increased cardiac workload of pregnancy. Pregnancy can also unmask…
