UNASSIGNED: To examine speed and accuracy of newborn heart rate measurement by various assessment methods employed at birth.
UNASSIGNED: A search of Medline, SCOPUS, CINAHL and Cochrane was conducted between January 1, 1946, to until August 16, 2023. (CRD 42021283364) Study selection was based on predetermined criteria. Reviewers independently extracted data, appraised risk of bias and assessed certainty of evidence.
UNASSIGNED: Pulse oximetry is slower and less precise than ECG for heart rate assessment. Both auscultation and palpation are imprecise for heart rate assessment. Other devices such as digital stethoscope, Doppler ultrasound, an ECG device using dry electrodes incorporated in a belt, photoplethysmography and electromyography are studied in small numbers of newborns and data are not available for extremely preterm or bradycardic newborns receiving resuscitation. Digital stethoscope is fast and accurate. Doppler ultrasound and dry electrode ECG in a belt are fast, accurate and precise when compared to conventional ECG with gel adhesive electrodes.
UNASSIGNED: Certainty of evidence was low or very low for most comparisons.
UNASSIGNED: If resources permit, ECG should be used for fast and accurate heart rate assessment at birth. Pulse oximetry and auscultation may be reasonable alternatives but have limitations. Digital stethoscope, doppler ultrasound and dry electrode ECG show promise but need further study.

Fetal movement is a crucial indicator of fetal well-being. Characteristics of fetal movement vary across gestation, posing challenges for researchers to determine the most suitable assessment of fetal movement for their study. We summarize the current measurement strategies used to assess fetal movement and conduct a comprehensive review of studies utilizing these methods. We critically evaluate various measurement approaches including subjective maternal perception, ultrasound, Doppler ultrasound, wearable technology, magnetocardiograms, and magnetic resonance imaging, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. We discuss the challenges of accurately capturing fetal movement, which is influenced by factors such as differences in recording times, gestational ages, sample sizes, environmental conditions, subjective perceptions, and characterization across studies. We also highlight the clinical implications of heterogeneity in fetal movement assessment for monitoring fetal behavior, predicting adverse outcomes, and improving maternal attachment to the fetus. Lastly, we propose potential areas of future research to overcome the current gaps and challenges in measuring and characterizing abnormal fetal movement. Our review contributes to the growing body of literature on fetal movement assessment and provides insights into the methodological considerations and potential applications for research.

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the differences in Doppler indices of the uterine (Ut), umbilical (UA), and middle cerebral artery (MCA) in diabetic versus non-diabetic pregnancies by conducting a comprehensive systematic review of the literature with a meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS were searched for studies that measured the pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), and systolic/diastolic ratio index (S/D ratio) of the umbilical artery, middle cerebral artery, and uterine artery in diabetic versus non-diabetic pregnancies. Two reviewers independently evaluated the eligibility of studies, abstracted data, and performed quality assessments according to standardized protocols. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was used as a measure of effect size. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic. Publication bias was evaluated by means of funnel plots. Results: A total of 62 publications were included in the qualitative and 43 in quantitative analysis. The UA-RI, UtA-PI, and UtA-S/D ratios were increased in diabetic compared with non-diabetic pregnancies. Subgroup analysis showed that levels of UtA-PI were significantly higher during the third, but not during the first trimester of pregnancy in diabetic versus non-diabetic pregnancies. No differences were found for the UA-PI, UA-S/D ratio, MCA-PI, MCA-RI, MCA-S/D ratio, or UtA-RI between diabetic and non-diabetic pregnancies. Conclusions: This meta-analysis revealed the presence of hemodynamic changes in uterine and umbilical arteries, but not in the middle cerebral artery in pregnancies complicated by diabetes.

The gut is a relatively silent organ in utero but takes on a major role after birth for the absorption and digestion of feed for adequate nutrition and growth. The neonatal circulation undergoes a transition period after birth, and gut perfusion increases rapidly to satisfy the oxygen demand and consumption. If this process is compromised at any stage, preterm and fetal growth restricted infants are at particular risk of gut tissue injury secondary to hypoxia, leading to necrotizing enterocolitis. Feeding can also be a challenge in these high-risk groups due to gut dysmotility. Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) Doppler is a safe, bedside investigation that could rapidly aid clinicians with feeding strategies and in monitoring high-risk infants. This article aims to establish normal patterns of gut blood flow velocity in neonates using SMA Doppler and reviews how it might be used clinically in pathologic states.

The objectives of the study were (1) to perform a systematic review of the available umbilical vein blood flow volume (UV-Q) reference ranges in uncomplicated pregnancies; and (2) to compare the findings of the systematic review with UV-Q values obtained from a local cohort. Available literature in the English language on this topic was identified following the PRISMA guidelines. Selected original articles were further grouped based on the UV sampling sites and the formulae used to compute UV-Q. The 50th percentiles, the means, or the best-fitting curves were derived from the formulae or the reported tables presented by authors. A prospective observational study of uncomplicated singleton pregnancies from 20+0 to 40+6 weeks of gestation was conducted to compare UV-Q with the results of this systematic review. Fifteen sets of data (fourteen sets belonging to manuscripts identified by the research strategy and one obtained from our cohort) were compared. Overall, there was a substantial heterogeneity among the reported UV-Q central values, although when using the same sampling methodology and formulae, the values overlap. Our data suggest that when adhering to the same methodology, the UV-Q assessment is accurate and reproducible, thus encouraging further investigation on the possible clinical applications of this measurement in clinical practice.

Doppler imaging ultrasound characterization and standardization requires blood that is called blood mimicking fluid for the exam. With recognized internal properties, acoustic and physical features of this artificial blood. Both acoustical and physical merits set in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) scale are determined as regular values, where the components utilized in the artificial blood preparation must have values identical to the IEC values. An artificial blood is commercially available in the medical application and may not be suitable in the mode of ultrasonic device or for rate of new imaging technique. It is sometimes qualified to have the strength to produce sound features and simulate blood configuration for particular implementations. In the current review article, appropriate artificial blood components, fluids, and measurements are described that have been created using varied materials and processes that have modified for medical applications.

Placenta accreta spectrum disorder (PAS) has an increased frequency due to the high number of cesarean sections. The abnormal placentation associated with a retained placenta can cause persistent uterine bleeding, with ultrasound Doppler examination being the main choice to assess the uterine hemorrhage. An acquired uterine arteriovenous malformation (AVM) may occur because of uterine trauma, spontaneous abortion, dilation and curettage, endometrial carcinoma or gestational trophoblastic disease. The treatment for abnormal placentation associated with AVM can be conservative, represented by methotrexate therapy, arterial embolization, uterine curettage, hysteroscopic loop resection or radical, which takes into consideration total hysterectomy. Therapeutic management always considers the degree of placental invasion, the patient hemodynamic state and fertility preservation. Considering the aspects described, we present a case of retained placenta percreta associated with acquired uterine AVM, with imagistic and clinical features suggestive of a gestational trophoblastic disease, successfully treated by hysterectomy, along with a small review of the literature, as only a few publications have reported a similar association of diagnostics and therapy.

This review looks at highlights of the development in ultrasound, ranging from interventional ultrasound and Doppler to the newest techniques like contrast-enhanced ultrasound and elastography, and gives reference to some of the valuable articles in Acta Radiologica. Ultrasound equipment is now available in any size and for any purpose, ranging from handheld devices to high-end devices, and the scientific societies include ultrasound professionals of all disciplines publishing guidelines and recommendations. Interventional ultrasound is expanding the field of use of ultrasound-guided interventions into nearly all specialties of medicine, from ultrasound guidance in minimally invasive robotic procedures to simple ultrasound-guided punctures performed by general practitioners. Each medical specialty is urged to define minimum requirements for equipment, education, training, and maintenance of skills, also for medical students. The clinical application of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and elastography is a topic often seen in current research settings.

Ultrasound imaging systems need tissue-mimicking phantoms with a good range of acoustic properties. Many studies on carotid artery phantoms have been carried out using ultrasound; hence this study presents a review of the different forms of carotid artery phantoms used to examine blood hemodynamics by Doppler ultrasound (DU) methods and explains the ingredients that constitute every phantom with their advantages and disadvantages. Different research databases were consulted to access relevant information on carotid artery phantoms used for DU measurements after which the information were presented systematically spanning from walled phantoms to wall-less phantoms. This review points out the fact that carotid artery phantoms are made up of tissue mimicking materials, vessel mimicking materials, and blood mimicking fluid whose properties matched those of real human tissues and vessels. These materials are a combination of substances such as water, gelatin, glycerol, scatterers, and other powders in their right proportions.

The aim of this paper is to describe the distinctive ultrasound findings of a case of vaginal bleeding caused by the presence of a foreign body. We present the case of an infant who consulted for vaginal bleeding and foul-smelling discharge. The ultrasound revealed signs of vaginal distension due to heterogeneous-hematic contents and parietal thickening. At Doppler examination, a striking finding of increased vascularization limited to the upper two-thirds of the vaginal wall was found, which was initially interpreted as a sign of local inflammation suggesting the presence of an underlying foreign body. At direct vaginoscopic examination remains of toilet paper in the vaginal fundus were found. The presence of a foreign body in the vagina is an uncommon cause of discharge and vaginal bleeding in pediatrics, therefore, this etiology should be kept in mind when the adequate clinical context arises. Doppler ultrasound represents a first-line complementary method when this entity is suspected.