Key Points The Gardos channel is a potassium channel involved in red cell volume modification. A mutation in KCNN4 encoding the Gardos channel is presented as the genetic basis for a new type of hereditary xerocytosis.

Counselling of parents following the diagnosis of a congenital heart disease should take into account that, in addition of the severity of the congenital heart disease (CHD), ethnicity, gestational age at diagnosis and chromosomal abnormalities influence parental decision regarding pregnancy continuation or interruption.

Late preterm infants born via elective CS are at high risk for RDS and NICU admission. The risk is influenced by each additional week spent in utero. As the incidence of CS is increasing within this population, new preventative strategies must be sought.