Obstetrics in the 21st Century: New Challenges and Translational Perspectives in Diagnostics

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Diagnosis and Prognosis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1616

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine—Federal University of São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
Interests: obstetrics; high-risk pregnancy; perinatology; prenatal diagnosis; ultrasound
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Guest Editor
Department of Maternal and Child Healthcare, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife 50670-901, PE, Brazil
Interests: fetal growth restriction; obstetric delivery; prenatal diagnosis; fetal medicine; diag-nostic imaging; reproductive medicine

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Obstetrics in the twenty-first century faces a unique convergence of scientific innovation, demographic transformation, and escalating clinical complexity. Advances in molecular biology, genomics, immunology, and imaging have profoundly expanded our understanding of pregnancy as a dynamic physiological and pathophysiological state, yet the translation of these discoveries into equitable, effective, and safe clinical care remains a major challenge. This Special Issue aims to explore the evolving landscape of modern obstetrics, from foundational research to translational and applied clinical practice. Key topics of interest include placental biology and dysfunction, maternal–fetal immunology, mechanisms of preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, preterm birth, and stillbirth, as well as emerging insights into maternal cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological adaptations to pregnancy. The role of advanced diagnostics, such as biomarkers, multi-omics approaches, artificial intelligence, and point-of-care technologies, in risk stratification, early diagnosis, and individualized care represents a central theme. Equally important are innovations in fetal imaging, prenatal screening, and noninvasive monitoring of maternal and fetal well-being. This Special Issue also welcomes contributions addressing the growing burden of maternal morbidity and mortality, obstetric critical care, and the management of pregnancy complicated by chronic disease, infection, cancer, and rare conditions, such as gestational trophoblastic disease. Translational research bridging experimental models, clinical trials, and real-world data is particularly encouraged. By fostering dialogue across basic scientists, clinician-researchers, epidemiologists, and health policy experts, this Special Issue seeks to highlight both the challenges and the transformative opportunities facing contemporary obstetrics, promoting innovations that can meaningfully improve maternal and perinatal outcomes worldwide. 

Prof. Dr. Edward Araujo Júnior
Prof. Dr. Alex Sandro Rolland Souza
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • obstetrics
  • high-risk pregnancies
  • ultrasound
  • magnetic resonance imaging
  • pathology
  • immunology
  • experimental
  • genomics
  • biomarkers
  • artificial intelligence

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

24 pages, 1806 KB  
Review
Fetal Growth Restriction: Contemporary Evidence to Guide Delivery Timing and Intrapartum Management
by Ana Carolina Rabachini Caetano, Ana Cristina Perez Zamarian, Luciano Marcondes Machado Nardozza, Seizo Miyadahira, Giselle Darahem Tedesco, Lara Dariolli Rossi, Gustavo Yano Callado, Edward Araujo Júnior and Alessandra Cristina Marcolin
Diagnostics 2026, 16(5), 806; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16050806 - 9 Mar 2026
Viewed by 1357
Abstract
Fetal growth restriction (FGR), a condition in which the fetus fails to achieve its growth and developmental potential, affects 5% to 10% of pregnancies and is associated with high rates of perinatal morbidity and mortality. There is currently insufficient high-quality evidence to define [...] Read more.
Fetal growth restriction (FGR), a condition in which the fetus fails to achieve its growth and developmental potential, affects 5% to 10% of pregnancies and is associated with high rates of perinatal morbidity and mortality. There is currently insufficient high-quality evidence to define the optimal approach for diagnosing fetal growth restriction. In 2016, with the aim of standardizing clinical practice and enabling comparability across scientific studies, an expert opinion-based consensus was published. This document proposed unified terminology and clear diagnostic criteria for early- and late-onset fetal growth restriction (FGR). Because no effective treatment is available, careful assessment of fetal well-being and appropriate timing of delivery are the main tools for managing these fetuses. This decision should be based on gestational age and the severity of abnormalities identified on fetal surveillance tests, balancing the risks of prematurity against the risks of severe permanent sequelae or fetal death. The objective of this update is to analyze the most recent evidence on when and how to deliver pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction, emphasizing that specific abnormalities on fetal surveillance examinations warrant delivery at different gestational ages. To this end, a literature search of the PubMed/Medline and Latin America and the Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS) databases was conducted using the terms fetal growth restriction, management, and delivery over the past ten years. Results were grouped into gestational age at delivery, mode of delivery, and methods of labor induction. The main fetal surveillance abnormalities prompting delivery in each gestational-age range were discussed, leading to the development of management flowcharts. Despite the lack of consensus in the literature and the limited number of randomized clinical trials guiding clinical decisions in FGR, the available evidence was summarized to assist clinicians in managing pregnancies complicated by FGR. It should be emphasized that there are few randomized clinical trials to guide management decisions in FGR. Full article
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