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New Perspectives in Maternal–Fetal Medicine

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Obstetrics & Gynecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 1259

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia, IMIB-Arrixaca, El Palmar, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Murcia, 30120 Murcia, Spain
Interests: maternal-fetal medicine; obstetrics and gynecology; pregnancy; uterine fibroids; fetal therapy; neonatal outcomes; preeclampsia; diabetes; adverse outcomes
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to bring together innovative approaches that contribute to advancing knowledge and improving outcomes in maternal–fetal medicine. It has emerged as a critical subspecialty of obstetrics, focusing on the diagnosis, management, and treatment of high-risk pregnancies. Over the years, advancements in ultrasound technology, genetic testing, and fetal interventions have revolutionized the field, enabling earlier detection of complications and more effective prenatal care. This has led to significant improvements in outcomes for both mothers and fetuses, particularly in cases of congenital anomalies, preterm birth, preeclampsia, diabetes, and other maternal comorbidities.

Given your expertise and contributions to the field, I would like to warmly invite you to submit an original article or review for consideration. This is a great opportunity to share your work with an international audience of professionals and researchers dedicated to improving maternal and perinatal care.

Dr. Catalina de Paco-Matallana
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • maternal–fetal medicine
  • prenatal diagnostics
  • fetal therapy
  • precision medicine
  • neonatal outcomes
  • maternal health

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

10 pages, 1018 KB  
Article
Ultrasound Assessment of Breech Engagement: Breech Progression Angle and Prediction of External Cephalic Version Success
by Javier Sánchez-Romero, Rosa María Gallego-Pozuelo, Cristina Ortuño-Hernández, Ana Martínez-Zarco, Rocío Barroso-Linares, Fernando Araico-Rodríguez, José Eliseo Blanco-Carnero, Aníbal Nieto-Díaz and Catalina de Paco-Matallana
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(20), 7179; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14207179 - 11 Oct 2025
Viewed by 995
Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate the role of breech progression angle (BPA), a novel transperineal ultrasound parameter, as a predictor of external cephalic version (ECV) success, and to compare BPA between breech and transverse lie presentations. Methods: This prospective exploratory study was nested [...] Read more.
Objectives: To evaluate the role of breech progression angle (BPA), a novel transperineal ultrasound parameter, as a predictor of external cephalic version (ECV) success, and to compare BPA between breech and transverse lie presentations. Methods: This prospective exploratory study was nested within a randomized clinical trial (NCT06449430) at Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain. Eligible participants were pregnant women ≥18 years with a singleton fetus in non-cephalic presentation at term, without contraindications to vaginal birth. BPA was measured transperineally following standardized methodology prior to ECV, performed under either spinal analgesia or propofol sedation. Logistic regression models adjusted for maternal and obstetric variables assessed the association between BPA and ECV success. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate predictive accuracy. Results: A total of 117 women were included: 100 with breech and 17 with transverse lie presentations. Median BPA was significantly higher in breech compared with transverse lie (87.2° vs. 70.2°, p < 0.001). In the overall cohort, BPA was not significantly associated with ECV success (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.94–1.00; p = 0.068). However, in breech presentations, BPA was independently associated with ECV success (adjusted OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91–0.99; p = 0.015). The area under the ROC curve for BPA predicting ECV success in breech cases was 0.64 (95% CI 0.53–0.73). Predictive accuracy was poor for transverse lie (AUC 0.27, 95% CI 0.08–0.56). Conclusions: BPA measured by transperineal ultrasound does not provide clinically useful information for predicting the success of external cephalic version, either in breech or transverse lie. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives in Maternal–Fetal Medicine)
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