fetal fibronectin

Examples of fetal fibronectin in the following topics:

• Premature Infants

  • Four different pathways have been identified that can result in preterm birth: precocious fetal endocrine activation, uterine overdistension, decidual bleeding, and intrauterine inflammation/infection.
  • Fetal fibronectin has become the most important biomarker.

• Natural Passive Immunity

  • Naturally acquired passive immunity occurs during pregnancy, when antibodies are passed from the maternal blood into the fetal bloodstream.
  • Naturally acquired passive immunity occurs during pregnancy, in which certain antibodies are passed from the maternal blood into the fetal bloodstream in the form of IgG.
  • Some antibodies can cross the placenta and enter the fetal blood.
  • In addition to the IgA and IgG, human milk also contains: oligosaccharides and mucins that adhere to bacteria and viruses to interfere with their attachment to host cells; lactoferrin to bind iron and make it unavailable to most bacteria; B12 binding protein to deprive bacteria of needed vitamin B12; bifidus factor that promotes the growth of Lactobacillus bifidus, normal flora in the gastrointestinal tract of infants that crowds out harmful bacteria; fibronectin that increases the antimicrobial activity of macrophages and helps repair tissue damage from infection in the gastrointestinal tract; gamma-interferon, a cytokine that enhances the activity of certain immune cells; hormones and growth factors that stimulate the baby's gastrointestinal tract to mature faster and be less susceptible to infection; and lysozyme to break down peptidoglycan in bacterial cell walls.

• Fetal Circulation

  • Fetal circulation includes the blood vessels within the placenta and the umbilical cord that carry fetal blood.
  • Fetal circulation is the circulatory system of a human fetus, often encompassing the entire fetoplacental circulation that also includes the umbilical cord and the blood vessels within the placenta that carry fetal blood.
  • The fetal circulation works differently from that of born humans, mainly because the lungs are not in use.
  • The core concept behind fetal circulation is that fetal hemoglobin has a higher affinity for oxygen than adult hemoglobin, which allows a diffusion of oxygen from the mother's circulatory system to the fetus.
  • About half of this enters the fetal ductus venosus and is carried to the inferior vena cava, while the other half enters the liver proper from the inferior border of the liver.

• Deep Wound Healing

  • The provisional ECM laid down during the proliferative phase is rich in fibronectin and collagen III that combine to allow quicker cell movement through the wound, which is very important during wound healing.
  • In large, deep wounds the remodelling of a fibronectin and collagen III-rich ECM to a collagen-I rich ECM may not occur, leading to a weakening of the tissue.

• Developmental Changes in Fluids

  • The balance of body fluids that are crucial for good health begins during fetal development.
  • Fetal development affects an individual's health in later life, so it is imperative that the uterine environment be optimal for proper fetal development.
  • Hormonal mechanisms including the renin-angiotensin system, aldosterone, and vasopressin are involved in modification of fetal renal excretion, reabsorption of sodium and water, and regulation of vascular volume.
  • In utero behavioral changes, such as fetal swallowing, have been suggested to function early in development in response to dipsogens.
  • Since diseases such as hypertension can be traced to fetal origin, it is important to understand the development of fetal regulatory mechanisms for body fluid homeostasis in this early stage of life.

• Embryonic and Fetal Bone Formation

  • During fetal development, bone tissue is created through intramembranous ossification and endochondral ossification.
  • Embryonic/fetal development proceeds from rostral (nose and mouth area) to caudal (posterior).
  • Intramembranous ossification is one of the two essential processes during fetal development of the mammalian skeletal system.
  • Endochondral ossification is the other essential bone creation process during fetal development of the mammalian skeletal system.

• Teratogens

  • Alcohol use in pregnancy may result in fetal alcohol ayndrome (FAS).
  • Cocaine appear to exert a number of its effects through peripheral vasoconstriction that leads to fetal hypoxia.
  • Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors will cause fetal renal failure and oligohydramnios that lead to pulmonary hypoplasia and limb contracture.
  • Fetal cranial bone abnormalities are also common.
  • When consumed in pregnancy, it can result in mothers giving birth to children with fetal alcohol syndrome.

• Stages of Labor

  • Internal rotation of the fetal head so that the baby's face is towards the mother's rectum.
  • Delivery by extension (the fetal head passes out of the birth canal).
  • The presenting fetal part is then permitted to descend.
  • The fetal head then continues descending into the pelvis, below the pubic arch, and out through the vagina.
  • The fetal head is seen to crown as the labia part.

• The TORCH Panel of Tests

  • TORCH infections are a group of viral, bacterial, and protozoan infections that gain access to the fetal bloodstream from the mother.
  • TORCH infections can lead to severe fetal anomalies or even fetal loss.
  • They are a group of viral, bacterial, and protozoan infections that gain access to the fetal bloodstream through the placenta via the chorionic villi.
  • Haematogenous transmission may occur at any time during gestation or occasionally at the time of delivery via maternal-to-fetal transfusion .
  • Hepatitis B is also sometimes included among "other infections," but Hepatitis B is a large virus and does not cross the placenta, hence it cannot infect the fetus unless there have been breaks in the maternal-fetal barrier, such as can occur due to bleeding during childbirth or during amniocentesis.

• Erythroblastosis Fetalis (Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn)

  • Hemolytic disease of the newborn occurs when IgG produced by the mother transfers through the placenta and attacks fetal red blood cells.
  • Among these antibodies are some which attack the red blood cells in the fetal circulation.
  • This disease ranges from mild to very severe, and fetal death from heart failure (hydrops fetalis) can occur.
  • When the disease is moderate or severe, many erythroblasts are present in the fetal blood; hence the name erythroblastosis fetalis.
  • It works by binding any fetal red cells with the D antigen before the mother is able to produce an immune response and form anti-D IgG.