Every human brain is a special, unique, and impressive organ and it does not fail to fascinate us every time with its endless possibilities and adaptation. New technology, such as four-dimensional ultrasound diagnostic devices, has gave us a chance to take a peek into the most complex, incredibly well-organized, and spectacular architecture of formation of fetal brain. Neuroscientists have made incredible discoveries about different structures and regions of the brain, and many elements of brain cognitive functions. However, what remains a great mystery is the interaction of different parts of the brain, in other words, that we are not entirely sure how individual parts of the brain exchange data and how and to what extent each is important and contributes to different patterns of behavior, feelings, or memory. Scientific research toward mapping the brain connections is on the way. Assessing fetal behavior in utero, its motor and cognitive functions, is one of the major challenges in perinatal medicine. Fetal behavior reflects the maturation and integrity of the fetal central nervous system (CNS). Understanding the course and timing of fetal neurodevelopmental events in relation to the development of motor and sensory systems is crucial to determining how environmental influences can affect certain structures as well as functions. With the Kurjak’s antenatal neurodevelopmental test (KANET) it is possible, for the first time ever, to evaluate the neurological state of the fetus in real time and to differentiate normal, borderline, and abnormal fetal behavioral patterns. If the KANET score is normal, that is highly predictive of favorable neurodevelopment of the infant. On the other hand, if the KANET score is borderline or abnormal in a high-risk pregnancy, the child’s postnatal development may appear abnormal. Thorough postnatal prospective neurodevelopmental (shortand long-term) follow-up of these children is highly recommended.

Abstract Objectives The aim of the study was to determine carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) values in patients who developed and did not develop preeclampsia (PE), and to determine whether CIMT values could be predictors of PE development. Methods The study included pregnant women who were examined by regular ultrasound examination at the Materno-Infantil Presidente Vargas Hospital (HMIPV) in Porto Alegre, Brazil, from April 2016 to September 2017. The examinations were performed every three months. Patients were divided into two groups. The first group included patients diagnosed with PE (n=21) and second group included patients who did not have PE (n=199). A high frequency ultrasound device (12 MHz) with a semi-automatic method was used to estimate CIMT. Results CIMT was significantly higher in pregnant women with PE than in women without PE (55±0.11 vs. 0.44±0.06, respectively; p<0.001). Using a cut-off value of 0.51 mm, CIMT had a specificity of 77.9% and sensitivity of 81% in the diagnosis of PE. With CIMT ≥0.6 mm, the probability of a patient developing PE was 44.4%; with CIMT >0.42 mm, the probability was only 4.2%. Conclusions An increase in CIMT was associated with the onset of PE. CIMT values were significantly higher in patients who develop PE.

Recent catastrophic consequences of coronavirus pandemic stimulate some deeper analysis of present level of globalization, particularly connected with public health problems One definition of globalization may be that it is the integration of capital, technology, and information across national borders in a way that is creating a single global market and, to some degree, a global village Besides economic, it includes many different processes such as development of communications systems, the increase in human mobility, the integration of trade and investment across boundaries, the spread of democracy and human rights, the increasing role of nongovernmental organizations in international politics, the growing concern about global epidemics, and ecological matters such as climate change that are happening at the same time and in many cases reinforcing one another Up till now, in June 2020, there have been over 20,000 published scientific papers on Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19), which is an unprecedented level of interest in any topic in the entire history of science Besides the described effect of remdesivir on reducing the length of the illness and the announced research on the effect of dexamethasone on reducing the mortality rate, science has not offered any other news on medication effectiveness so far After the vaccine’s effectiveness in developing antibodies and protecting from COVID-19 is proven, then its safety will need to be proven Vaccines have to be harmless and their only effect on the organism should be the developing of permanent immunity to the novel coronavirus However, never have we in history, as humanity, had planned to simultaneously vaccinate 4 or 5 billion people Most of us welcomed positive globalization process, but with the recent pandemic of corona disease, we are introducing negative part of globalization with many unpredictable developments Indeed, globalization is both inevitable and usually desirable and contains advantageous and disadvantageous issues It is a source of both hope and of apprehension and is an accelerating process in flow of information, technology, goods and services, and production means Globalization has a complex influence on perinatal health The bonds that link perinatologists together transcend geographic, political, religious, and lingual differences, resulting in a globalization that optimizes perinatal care

Introduction: Emergency cerclage in the second trimester is aestablished treatment for a dilated cervix. Aim: To report a case of a successful cerclage performed in a 33-year old woman in her secondpregnancy, after 5 years of non-successfulpregnancy outcomes. Case report: In her fourth month of pregnancy, the patient was hospitalized because of suprapubic pressure. After complete laboratory results, ultrasound and vaginal examination the patient was diagnosed with cervical shortening, cervical canal was opened 3cm, with prolapse and bulging of the fetal membranes in vagina. An amount of 120 ml of clear amniotic fluid was removed transabdominally under ultrasound guidance, and sent to the microbiological and genetical analysis. McDonald emergency cerclage of the cervical canal was performed. Patient was monitored few days on department and released home with advice of strict reduction of activity to minimum, and prescribed therapy due to that: antithrombotic, progesterone and antibiotic therapy. Conclusion: Amnioreduction at the time of emergency cerclage placement is associated with a lower rate of extreme prematurity and related neonatal morbidity. Successful outcome is not impossible, along with adequate antibiotic regimen, bed rest and regular obstetrical control/checkup.

Objective – The aim of the paper is to present a rare and complex congenital heart defect (CHD), congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries of the heart (ccTGA) with associated anomalies, including ventricular septal defect (VSD), valvular and subvalvular pulmonary stenosis, dysplasia of the tricuspid valve, and atrial septal defect (ASD) with first-degree atrioventricular block, which was diagnosed, monitored and successfully treated with heart surgery in an infant. Case Report – A female infant was born with 3350 grams in weight, 50 cm in length, oxygen saturation of 98%, and heart rate of 170 beats per minute. The antenatal and perinatal period was normal. CHD was verified by ultrasound at the age of 3 days. Angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) and diuretics were introduced in therapy after one month. Cardiac surgery (Senning-Rastelli procedure with placement of an 18-mm Contegra conduit) was performed at the age of 9 months. After the operation, the infant was stable on therapy with diuretics, antiaggregants, beta blockers, and antianemic therapy with vitamin D in prophylaxis. Conclusion – ccTGA with associated anomalies is a rare, life-threatening, congenital heart disease. After birth it demands correct diagnosis, adequate follow-up, and cardiac surgery in infancy.

Background: It is clear that in developed countries more women die annually from ovarian cancer than from all other gynecologic malignancies combined. Objective: The aim of this article is to analyze current possibilities and propose adequate measures which can help the development of effective screening methods/assays for the early detection of epithelial ovarian cancer. Results and Discussion: This article updates the status of ovarian cancer screening and addresses most relevant studies published during the last five years. The developments that followed the review are best summarized in reference to the screening tests, target populations and newly published trials. The possible role of 3D ultrasound technology, especially 3D power Doppler imaging, in early and accurate detection of ovarian malignancy is discussed. We described our new ovarian cancer screening trial, which started in January 2001. Improvements in ultrasound technology such as 3D volume acquisition and 3D power Doppler imaging may have clinical utility in a more reliable identification of an abnormal ovarian vascularity and architecture. 3D volume acquisition allows for careful evaluation of the internal surfaces of cyst walls for excrescences otherwise not appreciated by 2D ultrasound. Conclusion: While the addition of 3D power Doppler provides a new tool for measuring the quality of ovarian tumor angiogenesis, improving accurate diagnosis of ovarian malignancies, its clinical value for the early detection of ovarian carcinoma has yet to be determined.

Introduction: Preeclampsia is defined as hypertension (systolic pressure ≥140 mmHg or diastolic pressure ≥90 mmHg) after week 20 of gestation with one or more of the following symptoms: proteinuria, organ dysfunction (including renal, hepatologic, hematologic or neurological complications) and in case of stagnation of fetal development. So far, there are no valid clinical tools or tests that can tell with sufficient sensitivity and specificity in early pregnancy which pregnant woman will develop preeclampsia or have unwanted outcomes. Aim: To present the properties of biochemical parameter, uric acid, in patients with signs of preclampsia, which was confirmed by Doppler sonography. Methods: The study included 60 female subjects in the second trimester of pregnancy who were examined or were hospitalized at the Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Clinical Center University of Sarajevo. Pregnant women who had normal Doppler sonography scan of the uterine arteries in the second trimester of pregnancy were included in the control group, while pregnant women with pathologic Doppler sonographic findings in the second trimester of pregnancy were included in the group of pregnant women at risk of preeclampsia, i.e. the study group. Results: There is statistically significant difference between the average value of uric acid in the control and in the study group (213.36 ± 28.96 μmol / L vs 249.73 ± 47.06 μmol / L) (F = 12.991; p = 0.001). Applying the Wilcoxon non-parametric paired test to the average uric acid values during all measurements within the control group, no statistically significant difference was found. There was a statistically significant increase in the study group between all measurements, from 18.04 μmol / L between the first and second measurement (Z = -1.955; p = 0.043), 29.10 μmol / L between the second and third measurement (Z = -2.973; p = 0.003), 37.27 μmol / L between the third and fourth measurement (Z = -4.325; p = 0.001) and 109.87 μmol / L at the end of the study in comparison to values from the start of the study (Z = -4.309; p = 0.001). Conclusion: Uric acid values should become part of a broad biochemical range in screening and optimizing the treatment of patients diagnosed with early preeclampsia.

Ab s t r Ac t Introduction: Preeclampsia is the cause of increased morbidity in mothers, and mortality and morbidity of both mothers and fetuses and newborns. The pathological process is already complete when the symptoms occur, and nothing concrete can be done to stop the process. Early identification of women at risk of developing preeclampsia is a key goal of antenatal care. Alongside chemical tests, Doppler sonography of the uterine arteries plays a major role in the prediction of preeclampsia. Aims: To establish the probability of resistance to blood flow in the uterine arteries and the existence of notching in the control and test groups. Materials and methods: The study comprised 60 subjects in the second trimester of pregnancy who were going for check-ups during their pregnancy or had been hospitalized at the Maternity Clinic of Sarajevo UCC. All the subjects were divided into two groups, a control and a test group, in relation to the presence of pathological blood flow in the uterine arteries. As well as ultrasound results, the patients also provided an exhaustive history about their previous pregnancies, if any, and any relevant laboratory results. Results: A statistically significant difference was found in the average values of systolic and diastolic pressure during pregnancy between the control and the test group (p = 0.001). From an analysis of the resistance to blood flow in the uterine arteries in the control and test groups, we concluded that the flow on the side with the placenta and on the side without the placenta were physiological over five measurements in the control group of subjects. In the test group the largest number of cases of pathological flow were recorded, and there was also notching. Of the 21 subjects with a diagnosis of preeclampsia, there was notching in 10. Conclusion: Doppler sonography in the second trimester of pregnancy is a good prognostic marker for early discovery of preeclampsia.

The relationship between genetic risk factors of thrombophilia and pregnancy loss (PL) is being discussed. The focus has been on F5 1691G>A, F2 20210G>A, and MTHFR 677C>T polymorphisms that may predispose women to microthrombosis during the stages of embryo implantation and placentation. Although, the frequencies of these polymorphisms were reported in different populations, such studies have not yet been performed in Bosnian population. In this study, we determined the prevalence of F5 G>A (rs6025), F2 G>A (rs1799963) and MTHFR C>T (rs1801133) polymorphisms in Bosnian women. A total of 154 women with PL, mean age 33 (±5.4) years, were enrolled in the study. As a control group, 154 mothers [mean age 31.4 (±6.7) years] with at least one live-born child were included. We used real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine the frequencies of F5 G>A and F2 G>A genotypes, and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for analyzing MTHFR C>T genotypes. The frequency of heterozygotes for F5 and F2 was significantly higher in women with venous thrombosis (VT) compared to women without VT (p = 0.047 and p = 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference in the distribution of MTHFR genotypes and alleles between these two groups. In addition, we observed no significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies between the group with PL and control group, for all investigated polymorphisms. The allele frequencies for 1691A (F5), 20210A (F2), and 677T (MTHFR) reported in this study are consistent with the data obtained for other European countries, however, we were not able to confirm the association between the three polymorphisms and PL in Bosnian women.