Fetus lung development

Snyder JM, Mendelson CR, Johnston JM. The morphology of lung development in the human fetus. In Nelson GH, ed. Pulmonary development transition from intrauterine to extrauterine life. New York Marcel Dekker Inc, 1985 19-46. 

A study on the effects of glycyrrhetic acid on rat fetal lung development found moderately but significantly reduced levels of lip-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in the lungs of fetuses of rats fed 1000 mg/kg daily glycyrrhetic... 

Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the retina that occurs in children who have two defective Rb alleles. Very young children who develop retinoblastoma commonly have multiple tumors in both eyes. Each tumor is derived from a single retinal cell that has undergone a mutation in its one good copy of the Rb gene. (A fetus with two mutant alleles in every cell is nonviable.) Retinoblastoma patients also have a high incidence of cancers of the lung, prostate, and breast. 

Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine serves as the lung surfactant in adults, allowing the lungs to function normally. This phospholipid develops in the fetus after week 30 of gestation. Premature infants do not have an adequate amount of this phospholipid. As a result, acute respiratory distress syndrome is a leading cause of morbidity and death in premature infants. 

Exposure to CO results in a wide variety of potential adverse effects, particularly in individuals who have pre-existing cardiac or lung disease. Infants, the elderly, and the developing fetus are particularly vulnerable since they have less capacity to tolerate cardiovascular compromise. An additional problem is the delayed neurological and neuropsychiatric effects that have been documented after some significant exposures. The incidence of delayed neurotoxicity is between 2% and 30%. 

Functional Development of the Fetus The fetal organs mature during the third trimester but not at the same rate. This section reviews the lung, liver, kidneys, and blood development of the fetus. 

Fetal lung maturation can be accelerated with antenatal corticosteroids. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) consensus conference in 1994 concluded that all fetuses between 24 and 34 weeks gestation at risk for preterm delivery should receive corticosteroids regardless of gender, race, maternal infection, and availability of surfactant. A report by the National Institutes of Child Health and Development Neonatal Research Network noted that antenatal steroid use was associated with fewer pulmonary problems and mortality. Many women who are appropriate candidates are... 

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