Through nearly 90 years' continuous development and improvement, quality management and accreditation in the American healthcare field has already become an integrated, well-functioned and unique system from which we can learn a lot. This article not only briefly introduces this system in eight aspects, including independent quality management departments, specialized professionals in healthcare quality management, and integrated committee systems of quality improvement, but also explores some good points which we can buy in.

We report a fetus with recurrent intraparenchymal hemorrhage and cystic leukomalacia during pregnancy who was postnatally detected with a de novo mutation in the COL4A1 gene by genetic testing of umbilical cord blood. Multiple fresh hemorrhagic foci were detected in the fetal brain parenchyma and cerebellar hemisphere by ultrasound at 25 gestational weeks. Regular re-examination of the nervous system's ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicated recurrent multiple intraparenchymal hemorrhages followed by cystic leukomalacia. However, karyotyping and chromosomal microarray analysis of amniotic fluid showed no abnormality. The newborn was born by cesarean section at 37 +3 gestational weeks with an Apgar score of 10 at 1 and 5 min. Repeated apnea occurred after birth. MRI detected new intraparenchymal hemorrhage and cystic leukomalacia on the six-day of life. The infant's limb muscle tone remained low on the 90-day follow-up. The patient was lost to follow up. Whole-exome sequencing of the cord blood identified a de novo heterozygous mutation- c.4738G>A in the COL4A1 gene (NM_001845.4; p.G1580S) neither parent carried. It suggests that the genetic test of the COL4A1 mutation should be considered for fetuses with intracranial hemorrhage in the prenatal diagnosis, especially those with recurrent fetal intraparenchymal hemorrhage followed by cystic leukomalacia. Genetic tests could help analyze the fetal prognosis, and guide the delivery mode.

Objective:To investigate the significance of abnormal morphology of Sylvian fissure detected by fetal neurosonogram (NSG) in prenatal diagnosis of malformations of cortical development (MCD).Methods:This retrospective study involved fetuses with abnormal morphology of Sylvian fissure on prenatal NSG in Peking University First Hospital between January 2016 and December 2021. Clinical data including the basic information as well as the results of NSG, genetic examinations and MRI were collected. The diagnosis of MCD could be made when both brain morphological abnormalities and pathogenic/likely pathogenic genetic abnormalities were presented. The association between the abnormal morphology of Sylvian fissure and MCD was analyzed by descriptive analysis.Results:Thirteen participants who had complete genetic information were included in this study [defined as those who were found with pathogenic/likely pathogenic copy number variation (CNV) or those who further underwent whole-exome sequencing (WES) as no pathogenic/likely pathogenic CNV were detected]. Twelve fetuses (12/13) were eventually diagnosed with MCD. Pathogenic CNV were found in seven fetuses and pathogenic point mutations in five, involving six pathogenic genes and four genetic syndromes. Symmetric morphologic abnormality of Sylvian fissure was detected in 10 cases by prenatal NSG with shallow and broad shape in six and abnormal angle of Sylvian fissure in four. The other two fetuses showed asymmetric abnormal morphology of Sylvian fissure that was shallow and broad shape on one side and abnormal angle on the other. The imaging features of MCD present by prenatal NSG and were consistent with those of MRI.Conclusions:Abnormal morphology of Sylvian fissure detected by prenatal NSG is important in MCD diagnosis. Genetic examination are recommended to the fetuses with abnormal morphology of Sylvian fissure. For those requiring for genetic analysis, chromosomal microarray analysis together with WES might be an optimal choice.

Objective:To explore the predictive value of transvaginal ultrasound measurement of cervical length (CL) in the first and second trimester on spontaneous preterm birth in singleton pregnant women.Methods:This study retrospectively recruited 2 254 singleton pregnancies without severe comorbidities at Peking University First Hospital from January 2019 to June 2019. CL was measured for all subjects using transvaginal ultrasound in the first (11-13 +6 weeks) and second trimester (21-23 +6 weeks). Differences in CL between women with preterm (preterm group) and full-term delivery (full-term group) as well as the CL during the first and second trimester were compared. The independent risk factors for preterm birth and the predictive value of CL in the first and second trimester for spontaneous preterm birth were also explored. Fisher's exact test, t-test, χ2 test, and logistic regression analysis, etc, were adopted for statistical analysis. Results:(1) For the 2 254 subjects, CL measured in the first trimester and second trimester were (36.1±4.2) mm (22.4-52.6 mm) and (36.9±5.3) mm (2.9-59.7 mm), respectively. The incidence of short cervix in the first trimester and second trimester were 0.31% (7/2 254) and 1.46% (33/2 254), respectively. When CL was ≤25.0 mm ( OR=43.92, 95% CI:6.83-282.49) or >25.0-≤30.3 mm ( OR=6.59, 95% CI:1.97-22.0) in the first trimester, the risk of short cervix increased in the second trimester (both P<0.05). (2) The total incidence of preterm delivery was 3.06% (69/2 254). CL and the incidence of short cervix did not differ significantly in the first trimester between the preterm and full-term group [(35.2±4.5) and (36.1±4.1) mm, t=－1.78, P=0.076; 1.5% (1/69) and 0.3% (6/2 185), χ 2=2.98, P=0.084]. Compared with the full-term group, CL was shorter and the incidence of short cervix was higher in the second trimester in the preterm group [(33.6±6.7) vs (37.0±5.2) mm, t=－5.12;8.7% (6/69) vs 1.2% (27/2 185), χ 2=25.80, P<0.001]. (3) Multivariate regression analysis showed that age ≥35 years ( OR=2.05, 95% CI:1.22-3.46), history of spontaneous preterm birth ( OR=25.25, 95% CI:5.01-127.28), conception assisted by reproductive technology ( OR=10.39, 95% CI:2.39-50.33), and short cervix during the second trimester were independent risk factors for premature delivery. (4) There was no significant difference in the risk of preterm delivery when comparing to those with CL≤25.0 mm, >25.0-≤30.3 mm, >30.3-≤33.0 mm, >33.0-≤35.7 mm, >35.7-≤38.7 mm women with CL>38.7 mm during the first trimester (all P>0.05). The risk of premature delivery was relatively increased for those with CL≤25.0 mm,>25.0-≤29.5 mm, >29.5-≤33.6 mm, >33.6~≤36.8 mm, >36.8~≤40.1 mm during the second trimester compared to those with CL>40.1 mm [ OR (95% CI):17.64 (4.99-62.32), 6.89 (2.11-22.55), 3.58 (1.34-9.59), 4.04 (1.58-10.32), 3.34 (1.28-8.67), respectively , all P<0.05]. (5) When CL≤25.0 mm and ≤29.5 mm in the second trimester were used as the cut-off value, the prediction of preterm delivery was with a sensitivity of 8.70% and 17.39%, specificity of 98.80% and 95.29%, positive predictive value of 18.20% and 10.43%, negative predictive value of 97.16% and 97.34%, and the accuracy rate of 96.01% and 92.90%, respectively. Conclusions:There were no significant differences in CL and the incidence of short cervix during the first trimester among women with preterm or full-term delivery. CL in the first trimester is not an independent risk factor for preterm birth, but the risk of short cervix in the second trimester is increased when CL≤30.3 mm in the first trimester. The shorter the cervix during the second trimester, the greater the risk of preterm birth.