Introduction Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is a syndrome of failed circulatory adaptation at birth, which is seen in about 2 in 1000 live-born infants; the incidence has not changed significantly over the last 20 years. , The…
Introduction Cardiomyopathies constitute a group of heterogenous disorders in which the muscle of the heart (myocardium) remodels and becomes structurally and functionally abnormal. This pathophysiology can potentially lead to progressive systolic and/or diastolic heart failure, thus representing a cause of…
Introduction Hypoglycemia in neonates has been a topic of major concern and of controversy for many decades. These arise from two competing clinical issues. On the one hand, for a small number of infants born with persistent forms of hypoglycemia,…
Acknowledgment I am indebted to Professor Hector Wong for his assistance with the prior iteration of this chapter. Introduction A successful immune response is critically necessary to eradicate infectious challenges and prevent dissemination of the infection throughout the host. However,…
Introduction The transition to newborn life represents one of the greatest physiologic challenges that humans face during their lives. Before birth, the future airways of the lungs are liquid-filled and the lungs play no role in gas exchange. Instead, gas…
Introduction Twin pregnancies account for 3.7% of all births in the United States, and the incidence has increased over the past decades. From a developmental and genetic perspective, twins are characterized either as dizygotic , arising from two eggs fertilized…
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Development of a Functional Ovary The follicle—the functional unit of the ovary—consists of an oocyte in the late prophase of the first meiotic division surrounded by granulosa cells enclosed by a basement membrane. Later, during follicle growth, it will become…
Introduction The classical paradigm of mammalian, including human, sexual development postulates an initially “indifferent” (sexually undifferentiated) state that is transformed, in two major stages, into the sexually dimorphic male and female forms. The two stages are called primary, relating to…
Introduction Normal embryonic development in vertebrates requires the highly coordinated action of thyroid hormones. In mammals, these iodothyronine hormones (T3 and T4) are derived from both maternal and fetal sources and regulate the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of developing tissues…