The Perinatal Clinical Research Center is a unique environment facilitating and supporting research programs involving pregnancy (mother and fetus), the neonate and the development of the infant. It is also an important education resource for the Medical School and Hospital and an avenue for attracting new recruits to this study area. The viability of this triple focused (mother, fetus and infant) and multidisciplinary Center is demonstrated by continuing research themes and the addition of many new programs. Members of the Department of Obstetrics have introduced new studies in the areas of high risk pregnancy, antepartum bioelectronic monitoring of fetal heart rate, movements and respirations, the prediction of low birth weight infant outcomes and the effect on the fetus of environmental contaminants, including heavy metals, and drugs used during the antepartum and intrapartum periods. Studies in computerized data management and diagnosis, fetal electroencephalography and programmed identification of fetal distress are continuing. In the Department of Pediatrics, studies in fuel metabolism of the mother, fetus and neonate have been expanded and focused on diabetes mellitus and intrauterine growth retardation. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques are being used. Neonatal physiologic and pharmacologic studies have also been expanded, as have studies in infant neurobehavioral development, supported by the PCRC Developmental Assessment Unit. Additional areas of study include instrumentation, microprocessor applications, antenatal genetics, virology-immunology, infant perception and placental morphology. The Center serves as a resource to the hospital, community and region for the dissemination of state-of-the-art clinical techniques for providing optimum care to the high risk mother, fetus and newborn. Finally, the Center, by virtue of its infant followup capabilities in the Developmental Assessment Unit has the important commitment to assist all of its investigators in the study of infant outcome, with respect to disease and treatment.
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