[Incidental diagnosis of homozygous alpha-zero thalassemia in a 21 week old fetus]. / Découverte fortuite d'une alpha zero thalassémie homozygote chez un foetus de vingt-et-une semaines.

A fetus with signs of hydrops fetalis syndrome of unknown etiology, has been studied at 21 weeks. In fetal blood, total absence of HbA and HbF, presence of Hb Bart's, Hb Portland and HbH argued in favor of alpha zero-thalassemia syndrome. Because thalassemia syndromes were transmitted in a mendelian autosomal fashion, we studied the parents. Results suggest that the father was carrier of heterozygous alpha zero-thalassemia syndrome and the mother of hemoglobin H disease (and also heterozygous HbE). Neither of them was aware of being carrier of the disease but this results explain the fetal homozygous alpha zero-thalassemia.

[Value of the demonstration of amniotic phosphatidylglycerol in pregnancy in diabetic women]. / Intérêt de la mise en évidence du phosphatidyglycérol amniotique au cours de la grossesse chez la femme diabétique.

Correlation was made between phosphatidylglycerol (PG), L/S ratio results and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). PG determination is an accurate predictor of fetal lung maturity in diabetic pregnancies: when it is present in amniotic fluid there is never risk of RDS for the infant.