PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Study reveals significance of second trimester markers for Down's syndrome

2013-01-30
(Press-News.org) A new analysis has found that some second trimester markers for Down's syndrome that are detected by ultrasound are more telling than others. Published early online in Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, the study's results will help adjust pregnant women's risks for having a child with the condition.

Screening for Down's syndrome is offered to all pregnant women, who start out with a background risk based on their age. Certain features detected during a second trimester ultrasound exam are potential markers for Down's syndrome, and they include dilated brain ventricles, absent or small nose bone, increased thickness of the back of the neck, an abnormal artery to the upper extremities, bright spots in the heart, 'bright' bowels, mild kidney swelling, and shortening of an arm bone or thigh bone.

To determine how these markers affect risk, Kypros Nicolaides, MD, of the Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine at King's College London in England, and his colleagues analyzed all published studies that reported results on second trimester markers for Down's syndrome between 1995 and 2012.

The researchers identified 48 studies, and they discovered that most single markers have only a small effect on modifying the odds for Down's syndrome. This finding could have important clinical implications because currently in the United States, when a marker such as a short arm or thigh bone is detected, women are told that they are at high risk of having a child with Down's syndrome. Dr. Nicolaides and his team found that a few markers do carry increased risks, though. Dilated brain ventricles, increased thickness of the back of the neck, and an abnormal artery to the upper extremities increase the risk by three- to four-fold, and an absent or small nose bone increases the risk by six- to seven-fold.

"The detection of any one of the findings during the scan should prompt the sonographer to look for all other markers or abnormalities," said Prof. Nicolaides. He added that the study also revealed that if a detailed second trimester ultrasound exam demonstrates the absence of all major markers, the risk of having a baby affected by Down's syndrome is reduced by more than seven-fold.

The findings indicate that the relative importance of ultrasound markers is very different from what has been previously assumed. Prof. Nicolaides noted that the results from this study will be incorporated in obstetric ultrasound scan software that adjusts women's risks for having a child with Down's syndrome.

### URL: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/uog.12364 END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Mixed forest provides beneficial effects

2013-01-30
Forestry and nature conservation can benefit from promoting more different varieties of trees, according to a new study in which researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, were involved. Modern forestry is based largely on monocultures – usually pine or spruce trees in Sweden – mainly because this is seen to be more rational. However, a forest also contributes ecosystem services other than just wood production, such as biological diversity, carbon sequestration and berries. A new study by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and Future Forests ...

Research study: Whistle away the need for diapers

2013-01-30
Western babies are potty trained later these days and need diapers until an average of three years of age. But even infants can be potty trained. A study by researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, followed 47 infants and their mothers in Vietnam – where potty training starts at birth and the need for diapers is usually eliminated by nine months of age. Not only does eliminating the need for diapers save money and remove one practical chore for parents, but the baby's ability to control its bladder improves efficiency and reduces the risk ...

Excessive alcohol use when you're young could have lasting impacts on your brain

2013-01-30
Excessive alcohol use accounts for 4% of the global burden of disease, and binge drinking particularly is becoming an increasing health issue. A new review article published Cortex highlights the significant changes in brain function and structure that can be caused by alcohol misuse in young people. Functional signs of brain damage from alcohol misuse in young people mainly include deficits in visual learning and memory as well as executive functions. These functions are controlled by the hippocampus and frontal structures of the brain, which are not fully mature until ...

Light yet safe contender for city streets

Light yet safe contender for city streets
2013-01-30
This press release is available in German. Up to now, it has been a case of "either/or." On the one hand, we have the typical ultra-compact, lightweight electric car, where designers have had to compromise on safety. With larger e-cars on the other hand, the heavier frames and crumple zones come at the expense of battery range. But now researchers as well as engineers from some of Germany's top technology firms are looking to create the best of both worlds. The aim of the Visio.M project is to develop a mobility concept for an efficient electric vehicle, making ...

How our cells cope with toxic small molecules

2013-01-30
In this week's issue of the prestigious journal Nature Chemical Biology, scientists Carole Linster (University of Luxembourg), Emile Van Schaftingen (Louvain University), and Andrew D. Hanson (University of Florida, Gainesville) review an important, but so far neglected, part of metabolism, namely metabolite damage-control. In their publication 'Metabolite damage and its repair or pre-emption', the authors present a comprehensive overview of the known reactions generating unwanted small molecules in the cell as well as of the corresponding control mechanisms, and discuss ...

How does fibrosis occur in Crohn's disease?

2013-01-30
New research has shown that a protein, known as IL-13, could be the key to the development of fibrosis in Crohn's disease. This breakthrough could help to advance new medicines to treat people suffering with the disease. Crohn's disease is a chronic, debilitating condition characterised by inflammation and ulceration occurring at any point in the gastrointestinal tract. Currently there is no cure. One of the major complications of Crohn's disease is the development of fibrosis – hardening and thickening – in the bowel wall. This causes the intestine to lose its mobility ...

Academic gains, improved teacher relationships found among high risk kids in Head Start

Academic gains, improved teacher relationships found among high risk kids in Head Start
2013-01-30
BEND, Ore. – A new study by Oregon State University researchers finds that Head Start can make a positive impact in the lives of some of its highest risk children, both academically and behaviorally. Published in the current issue of the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, the study sheds light on how Head Start has helped children living in non-parental care, or living with someone who is not a parent or step-parent by biology or adoption. "These children tend to have unstable home lives, sometimes transitioning between different relatives, living with their ...

Snails signal a humid Mediterranean

2013-01-30
An international team of researchers has shown that old wives' tales that snails can tell us about the weather should not be dismissed too hastily. While the story goes that if a snail climbs a plant or post, rain is coming, research led by the University of York goes one better: it shows snails can provide a wealth of information about the prevailing weather conditions thousands of years ago. The researchers, including scientists from the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC), analysed the chemistry of snail shells dating back 9,000 to 2,500 years ...

Scientists learn more about how inhibitory brain cells get excited

Scientists learn more about how inhibitory brain cells get excited
2013-01-30
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Scientists have found an early step in how the brain's inhibitory cells get excited. A natural balance of excitement and inhibition keeps the brain from firing electrical impulses randomly and excessively, resulting in problems such as schizophrenia and seizures. However excitement is required to put on the brakes. "When the inhibitory neuron is excited, its job is to suppress whatever activity it touches," said Dr. Lin Mei, Director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University ...

A new genre of 'intelligent' micro- and nanomotors

2013-01-30
Enzymes, workhorse molecules of life that underpin almost every biological process, may have a new role as "intelligent" micro- and nanomotors with applications in medicine, engineering and other fields. That's the topic of a report in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, showing that single molecules of common enzymes can generate enough force to cause movement in specific directions. Peter J. Butler, Ayusman Sen and colleagues point out that enzymes — proteins that jump-start chemical reactions — are the basis of natural biological motors essential to life. ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

‘Internal alarm system’ harnesses immune system against cancer

Stem cell transplant for stroke leads to brain cell growth and functional recovery in mice

Cleveland Clinic study shows greater long-term benefits of bariatric surgery compared to GLP-1 medicines

Revised diagnostic criteria for vascular cognitive impairment and dementia—The VasCog-2-WSO criteria

The ATREIDES program in search of lost exo-Neptunes

Ancient crop discovered in the Canary Islands thanks to archaeological DNA

Placental research may transform our understanding of autism and human brain evolution

Mapping the Universe, faster and with the same accuracy

Study isolates population aging as primary driver of musculoskeletal disorders

Designing a sulfur vacancy redox disruptor for photothermoelectric and cascade‑catalytic‑driven cuproptosis–ferroptosis–apoptosis therapy

Recent advances in dynamic biomacromolecular modifications and chemical interventions: Perspective from a Chinese chemical biology consortium

CRF and the Jon DeHaan Foundation to launch TCT AI Lab at TCT 2025

Canada’s fastest academic supercomputer is now online at SFU after $80m upgrades

Architecture’s past holds the key to sustainable future

Laser correction for short-sightedness is safe and effective for older teenagers

About one in five people taking Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro say food tastes saltier or sweeter than before

Taking semaglutide turns down food noise, research suggests

Type 2 diabetes may double risk of sepsis, large community-based study suggests

New quantum sensors can withstand extreme pressure

Tirzepatide more cost-effective than semaglutide in patients with knee osteoarthritis and obesity

GLP-1 drugs shown cost-effective for knee osteoarthritis and obesity

Interactive apps, AI chatbots promote playfulness, reduce privacy concerns

How NIL boosts college football’s competitive balance

Moffitt researchers develop machine learning model to predict urgent care visits for lung cancer patients

Construction secrets of honeybees: Study reveals how bees build hives in tricky spots

Wheat disease losses total $2.9 billion across the United States and Canada between 2018 and 2021

New funding fuels development of first potentially regenerative treatment for multiple sclerosis

NJIT student–faculty team wins best presentation award for ant swarm simulation

Ants defend plants from herbivores but can hinder pollination

When the wireless data runs dry

[Press-News.org] Study reveals significance of second trimester markers for Down's syndrome