STAR Protocols (Dec 2020)
A Protocol for Evaluating Vital Signs and Maternal-Fetal Parameters Using High-Resolution Ultrasound in Pregnant Mice
Abstract
Summary: Pregnancy is a unique physiological state in which two individuals coexist: the mother and the fetus. Disruption of maternal-fetal crosstalk leads to pregnancy and neonatal pathologies. Therefore, assessing maternal-fetal well-being is essential for understanding the physiological and pathological processes occurring during pregnancy. Herein, we provide a protocol that allows for the determination of body temperature, blood pressure, and the evaluation of uterine and umbilical arteries as well as maternal and fetal heart rate using high-resolution ultrasound in pregnant mice.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Gomez-Lopez et al. (2020).