The Embryo : Normal and Abnormal Development and Growth

A variety of new techniques that promise to revolutionize the clinical management of early pregnancy are fully detailed in this state-of-the-art book. Leading international researchers describe fast-moving topics such as embryo manipulation and the diagnosis of congenital abnormalities. The technology of assisted reproduction has made it possible to study living embryonic material for the first time, which has led to rapid advances in our understanding of the human embryo's early development. For example, study of the embryo in the test tube has pointed to early pregnancy loss as a possible cause of later infertility. Even more important, diagnostic tests using sophisticated techniques of molecular biology can be run on single cells before the embryo is replaced in the uterus. Another area of advance is the diagnosis of congenital abnormalities in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. Great improvements have been made in the techniques of chorion villus biopsy and ultrasound imaging. A spectrum of simple biochemical tests performed on the mother's blood can greatly improve the detection of Down syndrome and other chromosome defects. Together with other developments in the fields of molecular biology and endocrinology, these new diagnostic techniques are the beginning of a new age in clinical human genetics and embryology. Front Matter....Pages i-xi Mechanisms of Early Embryonic Loss In Vivo and In Vitro....Pages 1-10 Aetiology of Pregnancy Failure....Pages 11-34 Anembryonic Pregnancy....Pages 35-43 Embryonic Loss: Clinical Perspectives....Pages 45-62 Embryo Biopsy....Pages 63-79 Preimplantation Diagnosis by DNA Amplification....Pages 81-90 Transabdominal Chorion Villus Biopsy Versus Amniocentesis for Diagnosis of Aneuploidy: Safety Is Not Enough....Pages 91-100 The Role of Echography in the Diagnosis of Fetal Chromosomal Defects....Pages 101-121 Embryoscopy: An Evolving Technology for Early Prenatal Diagnosis....Pages 123-140 Sexing the Pre-embryo....Pages 141-164 Embryonic Development: The Origin of Neural Tube Defects....Pages 165-180 Ultrasound and Biochemical Assessment of First Trimester Pregnancy....Pages 181-194 Endocrinology and Metabolism in Early Pregnancy....Pages 195-207 The Endocrinology of the Fetoplacental Unit in the Second Trimester of Pregnancy....Pages 209-226 Endometrial Proteins....Pages 227-239 Maternal Serum AFP Screening for Fetal Malformations and Down’s Syndrome....Pages 241-249 Biochemical Screening for Down’s Syndrome....Pages 251-257 Back Matter....Pages 259-263