Heterogeneity in fetal growth velocity

Abstract

Fetal growth quality is associated with susceptibility to non-communicable diseases. Fetal size has been conventionally assessed using the averaged growth chart, but fetal growth velocity has recently been attracting attention as another important aspect of fetal development. Since fetal growth velocity may reflect fetal response to various conditions during the developmental process within the maternal constraint, it is reasonable to imagine that there might exist a physiological diversity in growth velocity patterns over time, which has never been explored. We conducted a retrospective cohort study designed to evaluate the heterogeneity of fetal growth velocity in singleton pregnancies in the Japanese population. We leveraged the high frequency of prenatal checkup to collect large numbers of ultrasound measurements of every fetus (N = 801) and computationally analyzed individual changes in growth per week. Latent class trajectory analysis identified three distinct velocity patterns. The variation in growth velocity appeared in the third trimester and corresponded to the differences in neonatal size. This heterogeneity was not simply explained by maternal factors and fetal sex, although those factors had time-varying effects on fetal size. Our findings regarding the heterogeneity in fetal growth velocity will aid in the comprehensive understanding of fetal development quality.

Maternal hypertension-related genes affect the fetal growth via placenta

“…FGR is classified into two categories according to the gestational age of onset and nearly 80% are late-onset (≥ 32 weeks) 15 . The trajectory of individual fetal growth velocity is a valid indicator for fetal growth assessment 16 . We previously showed that heterogeneity of growth velocity trajectories is most pronounced after 30 weeks of gestation 16 .…”

“…The trajectory of individual fetal growth velocity is a valid indicator for fetal growth assessment 16 . We previously showed that heterogeneity of growth velocity trajectories is most pronounced after 30 weeks of gestation 16 . In our cohort, ≥10% of the fetuses showed a third-trimester growth acceleration or deceleration.…”

“…The characteristics of the two cohorts analyzed in this study are presented in Supplementary Table 13. More details about the participants of these cohorts have been described previously 16,24,25 . We excluded women with any hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP) in this study.…”

“…The TMDU pregnant women cohort. Clinical information including maternal BP and birth outcome were obtained from the retrospective cohort of women who gave birth at TMDU Hospital from 2013 to 2017 16,25 . The eligible criteria for this study were as follows: Japanese singleton delivery with available placental weight and live birth, without malformation, completing more than >34 weeks of gestation at the time of delivery.…”

Observation of Bone Tissue Metabolism and Bacterial Biofilm in Aqueous Solution Using ASEM

“…To image osteoclasts involved in osteoporosis, spongy bone tissue was immuno-labelled for the osteoclast marker cathepsin K and imaged by ASEM [4]. Cathepsin K protease secreted by osteoclasts digests bone collagen and thus plays a critical role in bone absorption.…”