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Published on: June 24, 2020
Maternal surgery during pregnancy has a transient adverse effect on the developing fetal rabbit brain
Lennart Van der Veeken1, Johannes Van der Merwe1, Sarah Devroe2
1Department of Development and Regeneration, Cluster Woman and Child, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Clinical Department Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Maternal anesthesia and surgery during pregnancy in rabbits led to temporary neonatal neurodevelopmental delays and reduced brain cell density. However, most effects were not detectable by 7 weeks of age, indicating potential recovery.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Anesthesiology
Background:
- US FDA advises caution regarding anesthetic drug use in pregnancy.
- Non-obstetric surgery occurs in 0.2-2% of pregnancies.
- Effects of maternal anesthesia on fetal development are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of maternal anesthesia and surgery during pregnancy on fetal brain development.
- Utilized a rabbit model for preclinical investigation.
Main Methods:
- Randomized, sham-controlled study in pregnant rabbits at 28 days gestation.
- Anesthesia (propofol/sevoflurane) and laparotomy in the surgery group.
- Sham group underwent invasive monitoring without anesthesia.
- Neonatal pups assessed for neurobehavioral and brain morphology.
Main Results:
- Surgery pups showed lower neonatal motor/sensory scores and brain-to-body weight ratios.
- Reduced neuron density and synaptophysin expression observed in neonatal brains.
- Delayed motor development noted in the first week, with significant recovery by 7 weeks.
Conclusions:
- Maternal anesthesia and surgery in rabbits impacted neonatal neurologic function and brain morphology.
- Neonatal neurodevelopmental effects were largely undetectable by 7 weeks of age.
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