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Biologic Markers in Reproductive Toxicology (1989) / Chapter Skim
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21. Physiologic Assessment of Fetal Compromise
Pages 241-246

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From page 241...
... This chapter considers the general roles that various diagnostic methods and biologic markers could have in understanding regulation of fetal growth and differentiation and the way xenobiotic agents affect normal events. Understanding the physiologic and endocrinologic bases of fetal development is a major goal of perinatal biology.
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From page 242...
... The National Institutes of Health found that the average pregnant woman takes five drugs (including nutritional supplements) during the course of her pregnancy, and about half the total drug consumption occurs during organogenesis, i.e., during the first trimester (Sever and Brent, 1986; Shepard, 1986~.
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From page 243...
... Use of ultrasonography has advanced rapidly for diagnosis of fetal size and, to a lesser extent, maturity. Some structural measurements are useful in these diagnoses, including biparietal diameter and head circumference, abdominal circum243 TABLE 21-2 Diagnostic Ultrasound and Biologic Indicators MATUR\TIONAL OR MORPHOMUlKIC BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS Fetus Gross malformations Estimated fetal weight Head: bipanetal diameter circumference Abdomen: circumference Head/abdomen: circumference Femur: length Heart: nght/left ventricle malformations Placenta Size Matun~ FUNCTIONAL OR PHYSIOLOGICAL BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS Fetus Brain: cerebral blood flow velocity Cardiovascular: heart rate; cardiac output; umbilical blood flow velocity, umbilical pystolic/diastolic Respiratory: breathing movements; somatic movements Placenta Blood flow: uterine; umbilical ference, and length of the femur and other long bones.
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From page 244...
... The success of these genetic markers and markers of specific organ function demonstrates the potential for developing markers for toxicity screening. Fetal lung maturity markers can be modified with drug therapy; that demonstrates that lung maturation is sensitive to xenobiotic intervention.
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From page 245...
... Although breathing and body movements are indexes of fetal wellbeing, changes in these movements are nonspecific and thus are crude biologic markers. ELECTRONIC FETAL HEART-RATE MONITORING Antepartum and intrapartum surveillance of fetal well-being with early detection of fetal distress is most commonly accomplished by monitoring the fetal heart rate.
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From page 246...
... Periodic changes in the fetal heart rate are evident. Early decelerations occur with uterine contraction and are thought to represent a vagal reflex due to mild transient hypoxia not associated with fetal compromise.
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Key Terms

  • biologic markers
  • heart rate
  • fetal heart
  • fetal blood
  • breathing movements

  • fetal compromise
  • potential adverse
  • blood sampling
  • late decelerations
  • fetal development

  • blood flow
  • chorionic villus
  • fetal lung
  • villus sampling
  • umbilical blood

  • fetal growth
  • flow velocity
  • third trimester
  • diagnose fetal
  • uterine contractions

  • fetal anomalies
  • fetal movements
  • indicators fetus
  • lung maturity
  • body movements

  • antenatal diagnosis
  • cardiac output
  • dna adducts
  • diagnostic methods
  • growth retardation


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