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Development and General Characteristics of Preterm and Term Newborn

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Neonatology

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Abstract

The embryonic phase is a critical stage of development. Fetal growth is mostly influenced by maternal, uteroplacental factors, as well as genetic and environmental factors. During pregnancy, noninvasive screening tests are used to evaluate a baby’s health. Severe acute or chronic intrauterine hypoxic stress in utero are responsible for compromised circulation, organ dysfunction, and threaten survival or intact survival. The objective of modern obstetrics is the accurate detection of suboptimal fetal growth. Currently, sonography plays a critical role in providing a reliable estimate of fetal biometry, thus confirming the clinical suspicion of growth restriction and substantially influencing pregnancy management. Preterm birth, defined as birth at less than 37 weeks of gestation, is the main determinant of adverse infant outcome in terms of both survival and quality of life: the more preterm these infants are, the more serious are the complications. Because of advances in the care of these very vulnerable infants, survival at the earliest gestation is continuosly improving.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy

    Domenico Arduini & Gaia Pasquali

  2. Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Eastern Liguria Hospital, La Spezia, Italy

    Stefano Parmigiani, Daniela Gianotti & Giulio Bevilacqua

Authors
  1. Domenico Arduini
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  2. Gaia Pasquali
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  3. Stefano Parmigiani
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  4. Daniela Gianotti
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  5. Giulio Bevilacqua
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Correspondence to Domenico Arduini .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Giuseppe Buonocore

  2. Department of Pediatrics Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Rodolfo Bracci

  3. Liverpool Women’s Hospital Neonatal Unit, Liverpool, UK

    Michael Weindling

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Arduini, D., Pasquali, G., Parmigiani, S., Gianotti, D., Bevilacqua, G. (2018). Development and General Characteristics of Preterm and Term Newborn. In: Buonocore, G., Bracci, R., Weindling, M. (eds) Neonatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29489-6_150

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29489-6_150

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