Functional and biochemical criteria for investigation of brain developmentdisorders

Functional state and creatine kinase (CK) activity in the amniotic fluid an d blood of anencephalic fetuses was studied in the second trimester of preg nancy with the following pathomorphological investigation of the state of t heir CNS to reveal possible markers of development disorders. The extent of neurological disorders in newborn infants was retrospectively compared wit h data from functional studies of components of a biophysical profile (moto r-cardiac reflex, heart rhythm oscillations, respiratory movements) and wit h CI( activity in the amniotic fluid and blood of fetuses with hemolytic di sease and fetuses of diabetic mothers and normal mothers in the third trime ster of pregnancy. The results revealed informative indices of fetal CNS de velopmental disorders in the prenatal period that are of importance for pre dicting a prognosis of the extent of neurological disorders in newborn infa nts. These results will allow the establishment of criteria for evaluation of fetuses to reveal possible disorders in the formation of the CNS. (C) 19 99 ISDN. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.