Search Results (376)

This review used a qualitive approach to help further understand the benefits of pregnancy shearing and its potential mechanisms. A recent meta-analysis showed that pregnancy shearing increased lamb birth weight when conducted between days 42 and 100 of gestation but not after day 100; however, there was no effect on lamb weaning weight. Factors identified as potential mechanisms for the lamb birth weight response include comb type, gestation length, ewe pregnancy nutrition and feed intake, changes in ewe hormones and metabolites and altered placental development. There was, however, no single consistent parameter identified for the birth weight effect and more research is required. Shearing can potentially increase lamb survival, thermoregulatory capability and improve behaviour and ewe milk production but, again, further research is also required to confirm these. In conclusion, to maximise the chance of a birth weight response, farmers should focus on twin-bearing ewes of adequate body condition, shear with a comb that leaves a greater stubble depth and ensure ewes are offered at least pregnancy maintenance feeding levels. Full article

Background and Objectives: To investigate factors associated with first-trimester residual myometrial thickness (RMT) at the site of a previous cesarean section scar and to evaluate the relationship between RMT and selected pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 80 pregnant women with at least one previous CS who attended the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine, between July 2017 and December 2018. RMT at the cesarean scar site was measured by transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) during the first trimester. After exclusion of 15 women because of incomplete records or missing follow-up data, 65 patients were included in the final analysis. Participants were categorized according to first-trimester RMT as a thin scar group (RMT ≤ 8 mm, n = 37) and a control group (RMT > 8 mm, n = 28). Demographic characteristics, obstetric history, cesarean-related variables, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) history, ultrasonographic findings, and neonatal outcomes were analyzed. Statistical analyses included Student’s t-test, chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Spearman correlation analysis. Results: Women with thinner residual myometrium had significantly higher parity (p = 0.003), a greater number of previous cesarean deliveries (p = 0.016), and a higher frequency of previous PPH (p = 0.037) compared with controls. Mean RMT was significantly lower in women with parity ≥ 2 than in women with parity 1 (6.39 ± 2.76 mm vs. 8.51 ± 2.81 mm, p = 0.003). Similarly, women with a history of PPH demonstrated significantly lower RMT than those without such a history (5.67 ± 2.11 mm vs. 7.82 ± 2.98 mm, p = 0.037). Correlation analysis revealed a moderate inverse relationship between the number of previous cesarean deliveries and RMT (r = −0.463, p < 0.001). No significant group differences were observed regarding cervical length, placental location, gestational age at delivery, 5 min Apgar score, or birth weight. Conclusions: First-trimester RMT was significantly associated with parity, previous cesarean delivery number, and a history of PPH. Among the evaluated variables, the number of previous cesarean deliveries demonstrated the strongest independent association with reduced RMT. These findings suggest that early transvaginal ultrasonographic assessment of RMT may serve as a useful sonographic marker of cesarean scar morphology and healing characteristics in pregnancies following cesarean delivery. Larger prospective studies are needed to determine the clinical significance of first-trimester RMT measurements for subsequent obstetric outcomes. Full article

Neonatal assessment in donkey foals is essential for reducing perinatal mortality and improving early management, yet breed-specific data remain scarce, particularly for indigenous Chinese breeds such as the Luxi Black donkey—an economically and genetically valuable breed of Shandong Province for which neonatal vitality has not been previously characterized. This prospective observational study aimed to describe the distribution of a modified four-parameter Apgar score and to summarize early physiological and morphometric parameters in Luxi Black donkey foals at birth. The study further explored whether these early parameters differed across Apgar score categories, with the aim of providing preliminary breed-specific reference data for neonatal assessment in this indigenous donkey breed. Fifty Jennies and the resulting 51 foals were enrolled at the National Black Donkey Breeding Center in Dong’e County, Shandong, China. Within 5 min of delivery, each foal was scored using a modified Apgar system (heart rate, respiratory rate, muscle tone, reflex response; maximum 8), and heart rate, respiratory rate, time to first suckling, rectal temperature, birth weight, body height, body length, chest girth, and abdomen girth were recorded. Foals were grouped according to their observed modified Apgar score categories (8/8, 7/8, 6/8, and 0/8). All 51 foals were included in the descriptive analysis of Apgar score distribution, while the three stillborn foals with an Apgar score of 0/8 were described separately and excluded from statistical comparisons. Physiological and morphometric parameters were compared only among live-born foals with Apgar scores of 8/8, 7/8, and 6/8. Of the 51 foals, 35 (68.63%) scored 8/8, 7 (13.73%) scored 7/8, 6 (11.76%) scored 6/8, and 3 (5.88%) were stillborn. Among live-born foals, respiratory rate (p = 0.008), time to first suckling (p < 0.001), and rectal temperature (p = 0.001) differed significantly among Apgar score categories, whereas heart rate showed no significant difference (p = 0.052). Birth weight and morphometric measurements did not differ significantly among live Apgar score categories. These preliminary findings suggest that the modified Apgar score may support early descriptive observation of neonatal status in Luxi Black donkey foals, although further studies with larger cohorts and objective outcome-based measures are needed. Full article

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of birth type on growth performance, cashmere production traits, and hair follicle populations in cashmere goats. A total of 74 newborn kids (single, n = 38; twin, n = 36), all sired by a single Inner Mongolian Cashmere buck, were used in this study. Body weights were recorded at birth, weaning, and yearling age to calculate pre- and post-weaning average daily gain (ADG). At yearling age, cashmere samples and skin biopsies were collected for measurement of cashmere yield, fiber diameter, staple length, and primary and secondary hair follicle population parameters. Results showed that single-born kids exhibited significantly greater birth weight by 18.3% (2.85 ± 0.06 kg vs. 2.41 ± 0.06 kg), weaning weight by 10.3% (20.17 ± 0.32 kg vs. 18.28 ± 0.17 kg), pre-weaning weight gain by 9.2% (17.31 ± 0.31 kg vs. 15.85 ± 0.20 kg), and pre-weaning ADG by 14.5% (146.5 ± 3.4 g vs. 127.9 ± 1.6 g) than twin-born kids (p < 0.05). Conversely, twin-born kids surpassed single-born kids in post-weaning weight gain by 14.4% (14.60 ± 0.48 kg vs. 12.76 ± 0.48 kg) and post-weaning ADG by 16.8% (60.5 ± 1.9 g vs. 51.8 ± 1.9 g), indicative of clear compensatory growth, resulting in no significant difference in yearling weight (32.90 ± 0.51 kg). Birth type significantly affected yearling cashmere production: single-born kids produced 10.1% more greasy cashmere (810 ± 22 g vs. 736 ± 28 g; p = 0.046) and exhibited a 0.45 μm finer mean fiber diameter (14.34 ± 0.10 μm vs. 14.79 ± 0.11 μm; p = 0.003), whereas staple length did not differ between groups (9.70 ± 0.12 cm). Consistent with the fiber trait results, no differences were detected in any primary hair follicle population parameters. By contrast, all secondary hair follicle traits were significantly higher in single-born goats, with secondary follicle density (SFD) being 10.6% greater (36.6 ± 1.0 vs. 33.1 ± 0.8; p = 0.010), secondary follicle density index 11.7% greater (363.9 ± 9.4 vs. 325.7 ± 7.6; p = 0.003), secondary follicle number 12.4% greater (33.46 ± 0.87 vs. 29.78 ± 0.70; p = 0.002), and the S/P ratio 8.9% greater (12.11 ± 0.36 vs. 11.12 ± 0.29; p = 0.041). All secondary follicle population parameters were negatively correlated with fiber diameter, among which SFD showed the strongest association (r = −0.70, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that birth type is associated with lasting differences in secondary hair follicle endowment and cashmere production, which persist at least through yearling age despite full compensatory body growth in twin-born kids. The observed association is consistent with the hypothesis that the pre-weaning period constitutes a critical window for follicle maturation—a window during which secondary follicle development is highly sensitive to nutritional status during gestation and early postnatal life. This suggests that targeted nutritional management of twin-bearing does during late gestation and early lactation may represent a promising strategy to partially mitigate the disadvantage in cashmere production potential imposed by twinning. However, direct causal evidence for both the developmental programming hypothesis and the efficacy of such nutritional interventions requires further experimental validation, including longer-term studies tracking animals across multiple production cycles and controlled nutritional trials. Full article

Background/Objectives: Our aim was to assess the benefits and risks of fortified vs. unfortified human milk in preterm/low birth weight neonates and to incorporate the INSPECT-SR tool to enhance evidence appraisal. Methods: PubMed and Scopus were searched from inception to 30 November 2025, limited to human studies published in English. Randomized controlled trials in neonates ≤ 34 weeks’ gestation or ≤2500 g birth weight were included. Data extraction followed PRISMA guidelines. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane RoB 2, and trustworthiness using the INSPECT-SR tool. Random-effects models were used to pool mean differences (MDs) and odds ratios (ORs); heterogeneity was assessed with I². Outcomes included weight, length, and head circumference gain velocities, feeding intolerance, necrotizing enterocolitis, late-onset sepsis, chronic lung disease, time to full enteral feeding, length of stay, and mortality. Results: Fifteen randomized controlled trials involving 1079 neonates (546 receiving fortified human milk and 533 receiving unfortified human milk) were included in the analysis. Fortified human milk was associated with significantly greater weight gain (MD 2.74 [1.27–4.22] g/kg/d; I² = 95%), length gain (MD 0.08 [0.02–0.14] cm/week; I² = 90%), and head circumference gain (MD 0.06 [0.03–0.10] cm/week; I² = 87%). No significant differences were observed in feeding intolerance, necrotizing enterocolitis, late-onset sepsis, chronic lung disease, time to full enteral feeding, length of stay, or mortality. Subgroup analyses suggested that the publication era partially contributed to heterogeneity, although substantial residual heterogeneity remained. According to INSPECT-SR, two trials were judged as having no concerns, twelve as having some concerns, and one as having serious concerns regarding trustworthiness. Conclusions: Low-certainty evidence suggests that human milk fortification improves short-term anthropometric growth parameters in preterm and low birth weight infants without increasing major neonatal morbidities. However, the certainty of these findings is limited by substantial heterogeneity and concerns regarding study trustworthiness. Future adequately powered trials using contemporary fortification strategies and long-term follow-up are required to establish the clinical significance of these growth benefits. Full article

Background: Early-onset neonatal listeriosis is a rare, life-threatening infection of vertical origin caused by Listeria monocytogenes. First-line therapy is intravenous ampicillin combined with an aminoglycoside; acquired β-lactam resistance is exceptionally uncommon. Case Presentation: A 34-week preterm female neonate (birth weight 1990 g, appropriate for gestational age) was born to a febrile primigravida with fetid greenish amniotic fluid at a regional secondary maternity and transferred at 30 h of life to our tertiary NICU with respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. L. monocytogenes was recovered from blood, gastric aspirate, pharyngeal exudate, ocular secretion, and skin swab. Gradient strip susceptibility testing reported ampicillin and trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole non-susceptibility, although confirmatory broth microdilution was unavailable. Broad-spectrum empirical therapy was revised on Day 5 to include ampicillin–sulbactam, with piperacillin–tazobactam and gentamicin continued. A follow-up blood culture on Day 9 remained sterile through 7 days. The hospital course was complicated by thrombocytopenia, transiently elevated aminotransferases, and a Grade I subependymal hemorrhage; tertiary NICU length of stay was 25 days. Conclusions: Recovery under a multi-agent regimen precludes attribution of effect to any single component. Discordant gradient strip susceptibility results in L. monocytogenes should be confirmed by broth microdilution before any therapeutic change; survivors of severe early-onset listeriosis require structured multidisciplinary follow-up. Full article

Background/Objectives: Vaginal microbiota is relevant to pregnancy, but evidence on neonatal anthropometry is mainly molecular and focused on pre-term birth. This study evaluated whether microscopy-based vaginal lactobacillary dominance in late pregnancy is associated with neonatal anthropometric measures after accounting for maternal and gestational determinants. Methods: This prospective observational study included 144 mother–newborn pairs recruited at a tertiary hospital in Romania between February and August 2025. Gram-stained smears were assessed for lactobacillary dominance, leukocyte density, and candidiasis; a composite vaginal indicator was derived. Outcomes were birth weight, length, and head circumference. Associations were assessed using correlation, adjusted regression, hierarchical models, and sensitivity analyses. Results: Lactobacillary dominance was not associated with birth weight or length in bivariate analyses, but correlated weakly with head circumference (ρ = 0.186, p = 0.025). In adjusted models, it was nominally associated with higher birth weight (B = 133.5 g, p = 0.043) and larger head circumference (B = 0.47 cm, p = 0.034), but not birth length; these associations did not remain significant after multiple-testing correction. Incremental explanatory contribution was modest (ΔR² = 0.022 and 0.025), and associations attenuated after socioeconomic adjustment. Leukocyte density and candidiasis were not associated with outcomes; intermediate versus balanced vaginal status was associated with lower birth weight and head circumference in exploratory analyses. Conclusions: Routine microscopy-based lactobacillary dominance showed modest nominal associations with birth weight and head circumference, limited incremental explanatory value, and no robustness after multiplicity correction. These findings suggest a context-dependent association with limited clinical relevance. Full article

Background: Neonatal morbidities are major determinants of clinical outcomes and healthcare utilization in preterm infants. However, population-level evidence quantifying the cumulative contribution of neonatal morbidities to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) length of stay (LOS) and medical costs remains limited. Methods: We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. Preterm infants admitted to NICUs between 2020 and 2023 were identified. After exclusions, 30,034 infants with complete birth weight data and 31,240 with complete gestational age data were included. Major neonatal morbidities—including bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), sepsis, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and periventricular leukomalacia (PVL)—were identified using ICD-10 odes. Associations of individual morbidities and cumulative morbidity burden with NICU LOS and medical costs were evaluated using multivariable regression and generalized linear mixed models. Results: Mean NICU LOS was 26.5 days, and mean total medical cost was 41.9 million KRW. All major morbidities were associated with prolonged LOS and increased costs. BPD showed the strongest association with LOS, whereas NEC and sepsis were associated with the highest costs. NICU LOS and medical costs increased in a stepwise manner with increasing numbers of morbidities; each additional morbidity was associated with an 8.0-day increase in LOS and a 32.5 million KRW increase in medical costs (both p < 0.001). Conclusions: Greater cumulative morbidity burden was associated with prolonged hospitalization and increased healthcare costs in preterm infants. Full article

Background/Objectives: Accurate identification of neonatal malnutrition is essential for optimizing perinatal care and reducing adverse outcomes. Traditional birthweight-based methods fail to account for body proportionality, limiting their ability to distinguish constitutionally small or large neonates from those with true nutritional abnormalities. We previously developed a customized fetal body mass index (cFBMI) percentile model that incorporates both weight and length, adjusted for maternal and fetal characteristics. This study aims to perform a temporal external validation of the cFBMI model following the Riley et al. framework, comparing its performance against the GROW customized birthweight model and the INTERGROWTH-21st population-based standard. Methods: A temporal validation study was conducted using singleton deliveries from Hospital Universitario de Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain. The development cohort comprised 7864 deliveries (2002–2021); the validation cohort comprised 4441 deliveries (2022–2025). Inclusion criteria: singleton pregnancy, gestational age of 33–42 + 6 weeks, birthweight of 500–6000 g, known neonatal sex and length, and complete maternal data. The Ponderal Index (PI = weight/length³ × 100) stratified by sex and gestational age served as the gold standard (undernutrition: PI < p10; overnutrition: PI > p90). Discrimination was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) with bootstrap 95% confidence intervals (2000 iterations) and DeLong tests. Calibration was evaluated by comparing observed versus expected proportions across percentile categories. Clinical utility was assessed using decision curve analysis (DCA). Temporal stability was quantified by comparing AUCs and Brier scores between the development and validation cohorts. Results: In the validation cohort (n = 4441), cFBMI demonstrated superior discrimination for both undernutrition (AUC: 0.962) and overnutrition (AUC: 0.961) compared with GROW (AUC: 0.751 and 0.676, respectively) and INTERGROWTH-21st (AUC: 0.756 and 0.682, respectively); all DeLong comparisons p < 0.0001. The cFBMI exhibited excellent temporal stability (ΔAUC = −0.004 for undernutrition, +0.002 for overnutrition) and superior calibration (observed proportions: 9.6%/81.7%/8.8% vs. expected 10%/80%/10%; χ² = 9.22, p = 0.010). The decision curve analysis confirmed the superior net benefit of cFBMI across all threshold probabilities. Conclusions: The customized fetal BMI percentile model demonstrates excellent and temporally stable discriminative performance in this single-institution temporal validation study, with superior calibration and apparent advantages in clinical utility as determined by decision curve analysis compared with existing methods. Its integration of body proportionality provides conceptual alignment with the Ponderal Index gold standard. These findings are promising but require confirmation through external multicenter validation before clinical implementation can be recommended. Although the mathematical relationship between the index test (weight/length²) and the reference standard (weight/length³) should be considered when interpreting the magnitude of discrimination metrics, validation against independent clinical outcomes is an essential next step. The cFBMI thus provides a proportionality-aware nutritional metric whose primary discriminative advantage over weight-based methods is realized at and beyond the moment of birth, and which is forward-compatible with emerging modalities for independent prenatal fetal length estimation. Full article

As a dual-purpose (meat and fat) coarse-wool sheep breed in Xinjiang, the Pishan Red sheep exhibits year-round estrus and excellent reproductive performance. The aim of this study was to systematically estimate the genetic parameters of growth traits in Pishan Red sheep at each stage from 0 to 12 months of age, and to provide a scientific basis for optimizing early selection indices for this breed. Year of birth, type of birth, and sex were included as fixed effects, while maternal genetic effects and individual additive genetic effects were treated as random effects. A multi-trait animal model was constructed using DMU software to analyze the genetic parameters. The results showed that for growth traits at 0 months of age, heritability ranged from 0.09 to 0.64, genetic correlations from –0.03 to 0.84, and phenotypic correlations from 8.2 × 10⁻³ to 0.32. Among these, the direct heritability of body weight was 0.18, and the maternal heritability was 0.21, while cannon circumference was identified as a high-heritability trait. At 2 months of age, heritability ranged from 0.04 to 0.69, genetic correlations from −0.78 to 0.96, and phenotypic correlations from 0.036 to 0.44. Body weight, body length, and cannon circumference were high-heritability traits. At 6 months of age, heritability ranged from 0.04 to 0.71, genetic correlations from −0.32 to 0.70, and phenotypic correlations from −0.13 to 0.54. Body weight was a medium-heritability trait, while chest width and cannon circumference were high-heritability traits. At 12 months of age, heritability ranged from 0.07 to 0.48, genetic correlations from −0.04 to 0.87, and phenotypic correlations from 0.28 to 0.72. Body weight was a medium-heritability trait, whereas body height, body length, cannon circumference, and heart girth were high-heritability traits. Both body weight and cannon circumference exhibited high heritability throughout the 0–12 month period and can therefore serve as key selection indices for early breeding in this breed. The findings of this study provide essential local baseline data for the genetic improvement, breeding program design, and genetic evaluation of Pishan Red sheep. Full article

Electronic waste (e-waste) recycling releases heavy metals into surrounding environments, creating potential health risks for nearby populations, particularly pregnant women and developing fetuses. This systematic review evaluated human evidence linking prenatal exposure to heavy metals originating from informal e-waste recycling with adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Electronic databases, including PubMed and Scopus, were searched through 23 September 2025, for studies measuring heavy metal exposure among pregnant women or neonates living in e-waste–affected communities. Following the Navigation Guide methodology, eight observational studies met the inclusion criteria and were assessed for risk of bias and strength of evidence. Across studies, concentrations of heavy metals were higher in exposed populations and were detected in maternal blood, placenta, cord blood, urine, and meconium samples from exposed populations. Prenatal exposure was consistently associated with adverse outcomes, with many studies reporting statistically significant associations between heavy metal exposure and reduced birth weight, length, head circumference, gestational age, neonatal body mass index, lower Apgar scores, impaired neonatal neurobehavioral development, placental molecular alterations, endocrine disruption, and increased neonatal DNA damage. Overall, the evidence was rated as moderate quality with sufficient evidence linking prenatal heavy-metal exposure from e-waste to impaired fetal growth and neonatal development, and limited evidence for pregnancy complications. These findings highlight the need for improved regulation of e-waste recycling and strengthened public health protections for vulnerable populations. Full article

Nutrient restriction (NR) increases small-for-gestational-age (SGA) offspring; however, some NR ewes deliver Non-SGA lambs. We evaluated whether fetal biometry and Doppler indices could distinguish divergent fetal growth trajectories. Ninety-five single-pregnant Corriedale ewes were assigned to NR grazing (n = 72) or supplemented Controls (n = 23) from gestational day (GD) 70 to 140. Fetal biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL), thoracic height (TH), umbilical cord diameter (UCD), and resistance (RI) and pulsatility (PI) indices in umbilical (UA), cotyledonary (CA), and uterine (UtA) arteries were assessed at several GDs. Offspring within NR group was stratified by birth weight (BW) quartiles as SGA (n = 18) or Non-SGA (n = 18). At birth, BW differed (p < 0.05) among Control (4.95 ± 0.10 kg), Non-SGA (5.33 ± 0.06 kg), and SGA (3.79 ± 0.11 kg), with reduced BPD and FL in SGA lambs. Prenatal biometry did not differ. UA-RI at GD125 was higher in SGA (p < 0.005) and associated with BW (R² = 0.15; p < 0.001). UtA indices were lower in SGA at GD110 and GD125 (p < 0.05) but weakly associated with BW (R² ≤ 0.08). Doppler differences were detected before measurable growth divergence but have modest predictive value. Full article

The reproductive traits of sheep are very important characteristics influencing productivity. Among these, gestation length (GL) is an important trait with positive or negative influences on birth weight, lamb survival, lambing intervals, ease of lambing, and the dam’s health. This review evaluates the existing knowledge of genetic and environmental factors influencing reproductive traits, with a focus on GL in sheep, and the potential of this knowledge to inform effective molecular breeding programs. The mean GL for sheep is 147 days, generally ranging from 142 to 152 days. Both extremely long and extremely short GL may have either positive or negative effects on sheep rearing. Variations among breeds and within populations arise from complex interactions between nature and nurture. GL has a moderate level of heritability, indicating that genetic factors contribute to phenotypic variation in this trait. The GL is a result of gene-regulatory pathway interactions, hormonal signaling, placental, and fetal–maternal communication. Three stages of gestation are characterized by distinct patterns of gene expression, hormonal regulation, and physiological functions. Advances in genomic technologies, including whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and genome-wide association studies (GWAS), have enhanced the ability to identify the genetic determinants of GL and facilitate their incorporation into molecular breeding strategies. In addition, the invention of molecular biology in the discovery of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), insertion/deletion (InDels), and copy number of variants (CNVs) has created new opportunities to uncover the molecular basis of GL. In general, this review offers a comprehensive framework that identifies genetic and environmental determinants of GL and describes their practical implications for sustainable sheep breeding. Full article

Objective: This study aimed to describe gestational age-specific biometric and estimated fetal weight (EFW) patterns derived from a multicenter cohort of fetuses with gastroschisis and to evaluate the agreement between prenatal EFW and birth weight. Methods: This retrospective study included singleton pregnancies with a prenatal diagnosis of gastroschisis and at least two ultrasound evaluations between 20 and 37 weeks. Data were collected from four Brazilian tertiary centers between 2010 and 2024. Biometric parameters (biparietal diameter, head circumference [HC], abdominal circumference, and femur length) and EFW were recorded. EFW was calculated using Hadlock IV and Siemer formulas. Polynomial regression models were applied to generate gestational age-specific curves for HC, femur length (FL), and EFW. Agreement between prenatal EFW and birth weight (in cases assessed within 14 days of delivery) was analyzed using Bland–Altman plots and the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Results: A total of 116 pregnancies and 355 ultrasound tests were included. Polynomial models showed a strong association between gestational age and EFW (R² = 0.837 for Siemer; R² = 0.728 for Hadlock), HC (R² = 0.849), and FL (R² = 0.877). The 50th percentile curves for gastroschisis were consistently lower than those from standard growth charts. In the birthweight concordance analysis (n = 46), the Siemer formula showed low agreement (CCC = 0.55), while the Hadlock formula showed even lower concordance (CCC = 0.44), with both formulas underestimating actual birth weight. Conclusions: Fetuses with gastroschisis have distinct growth patterns not captured by standard references. Tailored growth curves and careful interpretation of EFW are essential to improve prenatal assessment in this population. Full article

Background/Objectives: Twin pregnancies carry substantially elevated perinatal risks, yet tools for first-trimester risk stratification remain limited. This retrospective cohort study evaluated the predictive value of crown–rump length (CRL) and nuchal translucency (NT) discordance for adverse perinatal outcomes in 184 twin pregnancies at Ankara Etlik City Hospital, Turkey (October 2022–January 2024). Methods: CRL discordance ≥ 10% and NT discordance ≥ 20% were assessed for a birth-weight-based proxy of fetal growth restriction (FGR), preeclampsia, and neonatal outcomes using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for chorionicity, body mass index (BMI), and conception mode. Results: CRL discordance ≥ 10% was independently associated with the birth-weight-based FGR proxy (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 7.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.95–20.12, p < 0.001; area under the curve [AUC] 0.736). NT discordance ≥ 20% was also independently associated with the birth-weight-based FGR proxy (OR 3.74, 95% CI 1.91–8.39, p < 0.001; AUC 0.612). Both parameters were associated with lower Apgar scores. IVF conception was independently associated with preeclampsia in an exploratory analysis (OR 5.31, 95% CI 1.41–28.66, p = 0.016). Continuous modelling confirmed a dose–response relationship for CRL discordance (OR per 1% increase = 1.20, 95% CI 1.13–1.32). Conclusions: These findings suggest that first-trimester CRL discordance may provide useful early prognostic information for birth-weight-based adverse growth outcome in twin pregnancies, pending prospective validation in cohorts with Doppler-based FGR ascertainment. Full article