Physiologic Background A sufficient maternal blood supply to the placenta is of utmost importance to the fetus during pregnancy and labor. It has long been recognized that uterine contractions diminish uteroplacental blood flow. Contractions of myometrium compress the vessels traversing…
Introduction The fetoplacental circulation, also known as umbilical circuit, with its transport of nutrients, gases, and endocrine signaling, is critical for fetal development. A long tradition of animal experiments has given us indispensable insights into its physiology. However, the introduction…
Introduction a a Portions of this chapter are reprinted from Chapter 54 in Avery’s Diseases of the Newborn, 10e. The ductus arteriosus represents a persistence of the terminal portion of the sixth branchial arch. During fetal life, the ductus arteriosus…
Acknowledgments Preparation of this chapter was supported by grants from the British Heart Foundation, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, and Gerald Kerkut Trust. Introduction The fetus depends on its cardiovascular system for growth and development. Vascular growth is…
Introduction The regulation of cardiovascular function in the fetal and newborn periods is mediated through interacting neural, endocrine, and metabolic mechanisms acting at central, systemic, and local levels. The role of the central nervous system, in particular, is critical for…
† Deceased. Introduction Understanding the cardiovascular physiology of a neonate with a cardiac malformation requires consideration of many factors, including myocardial systolic and diastolic function; intravascular volume; cardiac and vascular transmural pressures; the pattern of intracardiac blood flow with shunting…
Introduction The intestine is a complex series of tissues, each with a specific role in digestion and excretion. For a mature intestine to function properly, it must protect its component cells from other organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites, as…
Introduction This chapter discusses the changing morphology of the developing fetal, neonatal, and postnatal pulmonary vascular bed. Studies have focused on structural and functional alterations in endothelial cells during postnatal development and have addressed the phenotypic heterogeneity of the vascular…
Introduction In this chapter, the physiology of both impulse formation and conduction in the developing heart is discussed. Significant developmental or age-related changes in the ionic currents are responsible for the generation of cardiac action potential, as well as changes…
Introduction The formation and subsequent development of the heart is a complex process that involves multiple cell populations, a plethora of molecular regulatory mechanisms, and intrinsic, complicated spatiotemporal remodeling events. When all the developmental steps have been properly concluded, the…