Insights into Perinatal Medicine and Fetal Medicine—2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 495

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Azienda Sanitaria Provinciale di Cosenza, 87100 Cosenza, Italy
Interests: perinatal medicine; fetal medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Obstetrics & Gynaecology Unit, San Salvatore Hospital, 67100 L’ Aquila, Italy
Interests: perinatal medicine; fetal medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fetal and perinatal medicine are branches of obstetrics and gynecology focusing on managing complications in the mother and fetus before, during, and immediately after birth. It is a broad field that pertains to pregnant women, fetuses, or both as a single entity, in which complications in one can impact the other.

In recent years, advances in research and technology have allowed for significant improvements in perinatal care, ranging from the early screening of fetal and maternal complications, such as fetal aneuploidies and pre-eclampsia, to the in utero treatment of fetal complications through minimally invasive approaches, such as the laser coagulation of placental anastomosis in monochorionic twin pregnancies, or antenatal spinal defect treatment. Therefore, it is essential to establish a multidisciplinary approach based on collaboration between fetal medicine specialists, geneticists, and pediatric surgeons.

Furthermore, the rate of advanced maternal age, the use of assisted reproduction techniques, and overweight/obesity among women has increased the number of high-risk pregnancies, with implications for both the fetus and mother, such as fetal growth restriction, gestational diabetes, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

The aim of this Special Issue is to gather Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), reviews, meta-analyses, cohort studies, and case reports presenting relevant scientific information in the field of perinatal and fetal medicine, with the aim of supporting clinicians in the daily management of maternal–fetal complications.

This Special Issue will include topics such as (but not limited to) the following:

  • First-trimester screening for fetal aneuploidies (combined test, cell-free DNA test);
  • Increased nuchal translucency and its genetic implications;
  • First-trimester screening for pre-eclampsia;
  • Fetal malformations;
  • Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy;
  • Gestational diabetes;
  • Fetal growth;
  • In utero surgery.

Dr. Paola Quaresima
Dr. Ilaria Fantasia
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fetal malformations
  • hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
  • gestational diabetes
  • fetal growth
  • in utero surgery
  • first-trimester screening
  • fetal aneuploidies

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

10 pages, 388 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Predictive Value of HOMA-IR in Gestational Diabetes: A Case–Control Study from Romania
by Ait el Haj Iman, Cristina Onel, Gheorghe Furau, Cristian Furau, Roxana Furau, Mihai Lucan, Mircea Sandor, Liliana Sachelarie and Anca Huniadi
Diagnostics 2025, 15(13), 1704; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15131704 - 3 Jul 2025
Viewed by 393
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common metabolic disorder during pregnancy, associated with increased risks for both maternal and fetal complications. Insulin resistance plays a central role in its pathophysiology. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the Homeostatic Model [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common metabolic disorder during pregnancy, associated with increased risks for both maternal and fetal complications. Insulin resistance plays a central role in its pathophysiology. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) in diagnosing GDM and to explore its correlation with clinical and anthropometric parameters in a Romanian population. Methods: A retrospective case–control study was conducted on 320 pregnant women between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation. Based on ADA criteria, participants were divided into 160 with GDM and 160 controls, matched by age and gestational week. Fasting glucose, insulin, BMI, and blood pressure were assessed. HOMA-IR and HOMA-β were calculated. Statistical analyses included t-tests, Pearson correlation, and logistic regression. Results: HOMA-IR was significantly higher in the GDM group (2.9 vs. 1.8; p < 0.001). It correlated with fasting insulin (r = 0.85, p < 0.001), fasting glucose (r = 0.65, p < 0.001), BMI (r = 0.60, p < 0.001), and systolic blood pressure (r = 0.42, p < 0.001). Logistic regression identified HOMA-IR as an independent predictor of GDM (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.6–3.5, p < 0.001), along with BMI (p = 0.01) and maternal age (p = 0.05). Conclusions: HOMA-IR is significantly associated with GDM and may enhance mid-gestational risk assessment when combined with clinical and anthropometric measures. Further studies are needed to validate its predictive accuracy in broader populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insights into Perinatal Medicine and Fetal Medicine—2nd Edition)
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