{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]],"date-time":"2026-09-14T23:58:25Z","timestamp":1789430305108,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Walter de Gruyter GmbH","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,16]],"date-time":"2025-04-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1744761600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,26]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:sec id=\"j_jpm-2024-0533_abs_001\">\n                  <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The aim of this study was to compare the fetal thymus size measured in the second and third trimester of pregnancy in underweight women and women with normal weight. We hypothesized that the low maternal weight would affect the fetal thymus size, as maternal health and nutrition during pregnancy affect fetal development, including that of the fetal immune system.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec id=\"j_jpm-2024-0533_abs_002\">\n                  <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The fetal thymus size was retrospectively assessed by determining the thymic-thoracic ratio in 77 pregnancies of underweight women (study group) and 85 pregnancies of women with normal weight (control group) between the 19th and 34th week of pregnancy. The anteroposterior thymic diameter and the intrathoracic mediastinal diameter were measured in the three-vessel view acquired from routine echocardiograms. The thymic-thoracic ratio was calculated by dividing the anteroposterior thymic diameter with the intrathoracic mediastinal diameter. Additionally, we compared the descriptive data between the two groups, such as gestational age at screening and at birth, birth weight, umbilical artery pH\u00a0and APGAR-score after 5\u202fmin.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec id=\"j_jpm-2024-0533_abs_003\">\n                  <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The mean fetal thymic-thoracic ratio in underweight women was not significantly different to that in normal weight pregnancies (0.374 vs. 0.363). However, the average gestational age at birth, birth weight and APGAR-score at birth were lower in the group of underweight\u00a0women.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec id=\"j_jpm-2024-0533_abs_004\">\n                  <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>There is no evidence that low maternal weight influences fetal thymus size during pregnancy. The differences we observed concerning fetal weight at birth, gestational age at delivery, APGAR-Score and birth weight percentile confirm the results of previous studies.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1515\/jpm-2024-0533","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,15]],"date-time":"2025-04-15T14:49:35Z","timestamp":1744728575000},"page":"639-644","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Assessment of fetal thymus size in pregnancies of underweight women"],"prefix":"10.1515","volume":"53","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-1593-5534","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lea","family":"Aleksic","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , University Hospital M\u00fcnster , M\u00fcnster , Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kathrin","family":"Oelmeier","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , University Hospital M\u00fcnster , M\u00fcnster , Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Helen","family":"Ann K\u00f6ster","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics , Frauenarztpraxis am Mexikoplatz , Berlin , Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Janina","family":"Braun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , University Hospital M\u00fcnster , M\u00fcnster , Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ralf","family":"Schmitz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Florence-Nightingale-Hospital , D\u00fcsseldorf , Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mareike","family":"M\u00f6llers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , University Hospital M\u00fcnster , M\u00fcnster , Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"374","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025060211104104552_j_jpm-2024-0533_ref_001","unstructured":"World Health Organization. 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Assessment of the fetal thymus by two- and three-dimensional ultrasound during normal human gestation and in fetuses with congenital heart defects. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2011;37:404\u20139. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/uog.8853.","DOI":"10.1002\/uog.8853"},{"key":"2025060211104104552_j_jpm-2024-0533_ref_038","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tonni, G, Rosignoli, L, Cariati, E, Martins, WP, Miyague, AH, Bruns, RF, et al.. Fetal thymus: visualization rate and volume by integrating 2D- and 3D-ultrasound during 2nd trimester echocardiography. J\u00a0Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2016;29:2223\u20138. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3109\/14767058.2015.1081892.","DOI":"10.3109\/14767058.2015.1081892"},{"key":"2025060211104104552_j_jpm-2024-0533_ref_039","unstructured":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pregnancy weight gain. 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