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5 Fetal Trauma
The feto-placental circulation contains around
110mL/kg of blood [2]; at 30weeks gestation,
about 55mL/kg is in the fetus, rising to 90mL/kg
at term. Therefore, premature infants have a
lower blood volume, and the consequences of
bleeding present earlier. Maternal exposure to
fetal blood cells during gestation (feto-maternal
hemorrhage—FMH) is common, occurring in
95% of pregnancies. However, the exposure volume is small, with <2mL in 98% of exposures
[3]. In rare cases, in 0.3% of pregnancies, fetal
hemorrhage (≥30mL) occurs, and 1:2,800 pregnancies are complicated by a massive fetal blood
loss (≥150 mL), causing fetal hemodynamic
instability [3, 4].
5.2 Blunt Fetal Trauma
5.2.1 Incidence
Approximately 2% of all live births in the USA,
or 79,000 children (26/1,000 person-years), were
exposed in utero to police-reported motor vehicle
accidents (MVA) [5]. A signicant increase in
exposure may have resulted in a poorly documented trauma-induced epidemic of fetal loss,
fetal injury, and adverse reproductive outcomes.
There is indirect corroborating evidence from
national vital statistics data of similar increases
in neonatal deaths due to maternal trauma during
this period [6], without the possibility of conrmation because of documentation problems. The
NHTSA reports that only about 23,188 infants
are reported with MVA yearly (6/1,000 personyears) [5]. Given the potential number of exposed
fetuses, longitudinal research on nonfatal fetal
outcomes is needed. Fetal trauma exposure has
received very little attention among reproductive
and environmental scientists and funding agencies. This is mainly due to (1) major deciencies
in the way fetal trauma-related deaths are coded
in vital statistics, (2) the lack or poor quality of
pregnancy status variables and follow-up in most
injury surveillance systems, (3) unfamiliarity by
many reproductive health researchers with injury
science and the enormous societal burden of
injury, and (4) the difculty of attributing adverse
birth outcomes and developmental problems
many months or years after the trauma. However,
the recent convergence of several research lines
suggests why this problem should receive urgent
attention.
Skull fractures with intracranial hemorrhage
appear to be the most common fetal injuries from
blunt trauma [7]. Traumatic subdural hematomas
(SDH) start from 24weeks of gestation and are
the most common intracranial type of bleeding
[8].
5.2.2 Pathophysiology
The fetus can sustain mechanical trauma during
pregnancy or difcult delivery. There are both
maternal and fetal adaptations for exceptional
protection during pregnancy. Fetal adaptation
includes a fast-growing organism with (1) maximal potency of all-tissue regeneration and (2)
low bone mineralization rate minimizing both
birth and external bone trauma. Maternal adapta-
tion includes anatomical and physiological
changes in pregnancy that contribute to additional external fetal protection (see Sect.
25.1.3.1).
According to the mechanism and the severity, blunt fetal trauma during pregnancy can
result in (1) fetal/neonatal death, (2) direct fetal
injury, and (3) deceleration injury. Fetal or early
neonatal death results from (1) violent trauma
with fetal injuries resulting in fetal death or (2)
injury to the feto-maternal unit indirectly causing fetal death. These feto-maternal unit injuries
most commonly include placental abruption
(see Sect. 25.3.6.1), preterm labor (see Sect.
4.3.3), or traumatic uterine rupture (see Sect.
10.2).
Intrauterine fractures should not automatically
be attributed to maternal blunt abdominal trauma.
Several etiologic groups [9] can cause intrauterine fractures (Table5.1). Fetal conditions prone
to intrauterine fractures could result in fetal fractures with minimal or even without maternal
trauma. Some idiopathic causes result from
domestic violence or unawareness of minor
trauma.

Caput succedaneum
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5.2.2.1 Direct Fetal Injury
Direct fetal injuries and fractures complicate
<1% of severe maternal blunt abdominal trauma,
most commonly during late pregnancy. Most
intrauterine fractures occur in the third trimester
when the fetal skeleton has reached a substantial
size, and the bones have mineralized [13, 14].
The susceptibility of individual fetal bones to
intrauterine fracture is generally related directly
to the mechanism of injury. Direct fetal injury is
relatively infrequent in the absence of uterine
injury [15].
Cranial injuries, including subgaleal hema-
toma (Fig.5.1), are the most frequent direct fetal
Table 5.1 Causes of intrauterine fetal fractures [9–12]
Maternal abdominal trauma
Fetal skeletal dysplasias
Osteogenesis imperfecta
Osteopetrosis
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Maternal metabolic/biochemical disturbances
Vitamin D deciency
Malabsorption
Osteomalacia
Hyper-/hypoparathyroidism
Steroids?
Fetal vascular injury
Compression
Thromboembolism
Idiopathic
Combination
injury after maternal blunt abdominal trauma. In
early pregnancy, the uterus is protected by the
bony pelvis and the amniotic uid, which act as a
hydraulic shock absorber, decreasing the force of
the blow by transmitting it equally in all directions. Later in pregnancy, the fetal head is xed in
the pelvis, and the buffering effect of the amniotic uid is decreased, making the head prone to
injury. Depressed skull fractures occur due to the
contact of the skull against the promontory of the
sacrum [10] or anterior pelvic ring. Most intrauterine skull fractures are related to a severe
maternal injury involving pelvic fractures [16],
although not always [17, 18]. Fetal skull fractures
should be considered an index injury for severe
maternal trauma. Vice versa, multiple pelvic fractures in pregnant women require a thorough
sonographic (US) and radiographic examination
of the uterus and fetus.
Brain injury can result from direct and indirect
(deceleration) injuries in later pregnancy. Fetal
brain and skull injuries may be more common in
fetal head engagement during maternal pelvic
fractures [20, 21]. In these direct injuries, either
the maternal abdominal wall is struck by a blunt
instrument, or the maternal abdomen strikes the
car’s dashboard, steering wheel, or another area.
Such injuries may be missed at the time of the
accident, and the pregnancy may continue to
term in the absence of concomitant placental or
uterine injuries. Both brain (vessel) and skull
injuries could be isolated or associated. When
Fig. 5.1 Hemorrhage
by location within the
different layers of the
meninges (left) and scalp
(right). (Reproduced
with permission from
[19] under the CC BY
4.0)
Subarachnoid
Subdural
Epidural
Subgaleal
Cephalohematoma

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5 Fetal Trauma
comparing epidural and SDH, almost all were
SDH [8]. The distribution of blunt maternal
trauma mechanisms causing fetal SDH is MVA
in 69%, domestic violence in 23%, and the
remaining were undened [8]. Due to a small
number of patients, it is difcult to conclude the
inuence of seat belts and airbags deployed on
fetal SDH.Hemosiderin deposition in brain hemorrhage should be evaluated because its presence
conrms an old (chronic) bleeding. It is present
for some time before intrauterine death.
MacDonald et al. in 1977, rst described this
phenomenon [22].
Isolated fractures of the mandible, the clavicle, the vertebrae, and long bones have been
reported [23].
Severe extraskeletal fetal injuries are
extremely rare but can result in signicant child
disabilities. Such injuries include traumatic loss
of an eye (Fig.5.2a) or neurologic impairment,
causing less functional extremities or even palsy
(Fig.5.2b).
Traumatic maternal uterine rupture is commonly associated with a direct fetal injury. During
pregnancy, uterine blood ow increases tenfold—from the nongravid rate of 60cm3/min to
600cm3/min at term [13]. Acute maternal blood
loss is partly compensated by increased uterine
vascular resistance and decreased blood ow [25].
Therefore, the hemodynamic stability of the
mother is maintained at the expense of uterine
blood ow, putting the fetus at risk [15, 26].
Neonatal long bone fractures at birth occur
after difcult deliveries (especially femur fractures with breech presentation), mainly during
Cesarean section (CS) [27]. Forced obstetric
Fig. 5.2 At 36th-week gestation, the mother hit herself
with the woody part of an axe nonintentionally, resulting
in (4-years-old child) (a) neonatal eye damage and (b)
right-sided hemiplegic spastic cerebral palsy and epilepsy.
(Reproduced with permission from [24] under the CC BY
2.0)

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maneuvers during CS, such as excessive stretching of the legs and bending the femurs during the
delivery of the head, may result in fractures. Also,
CS breech delivery of the large fetus and the fetus
of gestational diabetic mothers necessitate more
twisting and pulling, resulting in fractures. In
these cases, lower segment transverse uterotomy
could be insufcient, and a small vertical incision
is needed. Additional vertical incision enables
less force for the delivery, especially the fetal
head [28].
Spontaneous femur fractures are exceedingly
rare and should be included in the differential
diagnosis. All spontaneous femur fractures
include the mid femur, usually in males in the
second half of pregnancy, and on the right side.
Low estradiol levels might lead to a corresponding weakness in the male fetal femur. Another
mechanism could result from differences in
growth, as the femoral shaft develops faster than
both ends, making this site more fragile. Also, the
fracture site might be related to the intrauterine
position of the femur as the right femur always
lays over the left femur, which could result in a
lever/fulcrum effect [29].
5.2.2.2 Indirect Fetal Injury
In the absence of visible external trauma, indirect
injury of the fetal viscera represents deceleration,
blast injury, or ischemic, mostly brain injury.
Deceleration injury can occur in any fetal part
or organ, including an unengaged fetal head [13,
14], spleen [30], liver, kidney, and adrenal gland,
causing contusions and hemorrhage [31]. The
injury is primarily the result of rapid compression and the impact of the organs during deceleration. It is debatable whether it results from a
countercoup effect within their attachments or
secondary to a shearing force within the organs
[32]. Intrauterine SDH is the result of shearing or
acceleration/deceleration forces because of the
following features [33, 34]: (1) the head is large
and neck muscles weak; this allows more rotational movement with angular acceleration, (2)
the subarachnoid space is larger, allowing the
brain to move within the skull easily, and (3) the
fetal brain has a higher water content that
increases its mass and allows it to develop more
momentum when acceleration is applied [33, 34].
These unique conditions could make the fetus
more susceptible to SDH even without apparent
trauma. The breech presentation places the fetus
at higher risk of this type of injury even without
skull fractures. It is possible that with a cephalic
presentation, the fetal head may be better protected and less mobile within the bony pelvis and,
therefore, less susceptible to acceleration/deceleration [35].
Blast injury is associated with trauma to the
fetal thorax and abdomen. The suggested mechanism of injury is similar to an underwater blast
injury, with the shock waves transmitted through
the amniotic uid exerting their effects on the
fetus [36].
A hypoxic insult causes ischemic brain injury
to the developing fetal brain at the time of the
traumatic event, either from (1) maternal hypotension, (2) placental embolus [37], or (3) maternal
stress. Maternal stress causes catecholamine discharge leading to uterine artery spasms and
decreased fetal blood ow [38]. This potential
mechanism for ischemic damage after an MVA
can occur even without maternal injury [39]. The
brain is the most susceptible even to short ischemic periods, which is the reason for more frequent ischemic damage compared to other organs.
5.2.2.3 Childbirth Trauma
Birth trauma, either during vaginal breech delivery [40] or CS (especially with breech presentation) and maneuvers such as external cephalic
version [41], can result in fetal injury. Long bone
fractures are documented in 0.02% and fetal
injury in 1.1% of CS [42]. The highest risk of
fetal injury is during CS performed after an
unsuccessful trial of vaginal delivery [40] and
breech delivery of high birth weight fetuses [43].
Ancient Egypt text does not describe traumatic
fetal injury except childbirth trauma [44].
5.2.3 Clinical Presentation
5.2.3.1 Intrauterine Trauma
An intrauterine fetal examination is challenging.
Pathological ndings during maternal abdominal

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5 Fetal Trauma
examination raise the possibility of fetal injury.
These include abdominal wall bruises, seat belt
signs, deformed uterus, and palpable fetal parts
outside the uterus. The maternal seat belt sign
strongly predicts severe fetal injury and correlates with fetal transection [45, 46].
Cardiotocography conrms fetal distress as an
indirect sign of severe fetal injury.
5.2.3.2 Birth Trauma
In newborns with maternal abdominal trauma
during pregnancy, careful maternal history and
newborn examination are essential. Signs of
femur fracture in a newborn are soft tissue swelling, knee stiffness, focal tenderness, and irritability. Signs often appear on the second or third day
of life [28]. Limb-sparing is the consequence of
extremity fracture or neurological impairment.
Extremity deviations or angulations result from
birth trauma or a recent intrauterine fracture. A
palpable lump on the bone surface is probably
due to callus formation.
The absence of external trauma on the newborn does not exclude intracranial or truncal injuries. Even when placental abruption
is conrmed with fetal distress, the postdelivery newborn examination is mandatory
to exclude potential life- threatening injuries [47].
Maternal plain abdominal X-ray is eventually
a babygram that leads to accurate prenatal diagnosis [50], although specic plain X-rays for
identifying fetal skeletal pathology exist [51]. A
fetal X-ray helps evaluate the axial skeleton,
which may be difcult to assess with
US.However, unpredictable fetal positioning or
maternal-fetal skeletal overlapping lowers the
diagnostic accuracy of either of these modalities.
If the intrauterine fracture is conrmed by imaging modality, a postnatal X-ray is mandatory to
dene a need to correct the fracture and
follow-up.
Screening 2D US has a sensitivity of 60% [52,
53], while 3D US has a sensitivity of 80% for all
skeletal changes [54, 55]. 3D US has an absolute
advantage in diagnosing the morphology of the
spine and pelvis. Obstetric US enables intrauterine visualization of fetal SDH before the onset of
delivery, spontaneously, or after trauma.
A fetal intracranial bleeding/hematoma is
not always evident on the initial US, espe-
cially early after the traumatic event.
Therefore, repeated US several days after
trauma (Fig.5.3) could be diagnostic, espe-
cially if there is a transient loss of fetal
heart rate variability [48, 49]. The same
principle applies in the early puerperium
[56].
5.2.4 Diagnosis
Diagnosis can be made in utero with the continuation of pregnancy without fetal distress (see
Sect. 25.3.8.4 for fetal monitoring) or after
delivery.
5.2.4.1 Intrauterine Diagnosis
If maternal trauma is minor without the indication for imaging diagnostics, abnormal CTG patterns can be the rst sign of fetal trauma. Fetal
heart rate abnormalities have been associated
with fetal intracranial hemorrhage, including
decreased fetal heart rate variability and a sinusoidal pattern [48, 49].
Most abruptions occur within 2–6 h after
injury, and almost all within the rst 24h postinjury [57]; therefore, repeated US after several
days can also exclude abruption as a cause. With
fetal distress, US can rule out other causes of
fetal distress, such as placental abruption, thereby
avoiding an unnecessary preterm delivery.
Two-dimensional (2D) US allows a real-time
examination to nd fractures at any angle, even if
the fetus moves. 2D US signs of a fracture are the
shorter bone length for gestational age and angulation of long bones (Fig.5.4). The advantage is
an easy comparison with contralateral bone. One
drawback is the requirement of a certain amount
of amniotic uid volume around the fetus [54].

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Fig. 5.3 Fetal head ultrasound at 27weeks of pregnancy.
(a) 34 h after trauma: fetal intracranial ndings largely
unremarkable—transverse view at the level of the lateral
ventricle. (b) 62h after trauma: a large hyperechoic lesion
in the frontal lobe (∗) as well as ndings consistent with a
subdural hematoma (arrows). (Reproduced with permission from [49] under the CC BY 4.0)
nosing all associated fetal fractures [54]. Doppler
ow measurements of the umbilical artery may
reveal high placental resistance associated with
intrauterine growth retardation [61]. Oligo- or
anhydramnios should raise a suspicion of placental insufciency. All fetal organs should be examined and evaluated.
Fig. 5.4 At 34weeks gestation, a short right femur with
a length corresponding to a gestational age of 26weeks
(48.9 mm right femur, 66.3 mm left femur). Angulated
right femoral shaft suggests a fracture. (Reproduced with
permission from [58])
identies signicantly more abnormalities than
Diseases prone to intrauterine fractures should
be evaluated. US signs of osteogenesis imperfecta type II can be detected from 13weeks gestation—nuchal translucency, reduced
echogenicity of the fetal bones, multiple fractures
at various stages of healing, and deformity of the
long bones, ribs, and skull [54]. Other types of
osteogenesis imperfecta or skeletal dysplasia
any US modality (CT 94.3%, 3D-US 77.1%,
2D-US, 51.4%, p<0.01) [54]. Another advantage
of CT is 3D reconstruction, either as volumerendering or in multiplane reformatting of the
whole fetus or its segments (Fig.5.5). The comparison of the diagnostic accuracy of different
imaging methods for fetal skeletal issues is pre-
sented in Table5.2.
show bent but not broken bones detectable in the
late second trimester [59, 60]. For the osteogenesis imperfecta, 3D US is more accurate in diag-
detecting axial skeleton anomalies or bent
bones [65]. However, the emergent availability
CT is not a primary imaging method for
suspected fetal injuries except for the classication of maternal injuries. Fetal images
are examined from the same CT scans
[62–64].
During the third trimester, CT of the fetus
Fetal MR is more accurate than the US for

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Fig. 5.5 Axial contrast-enhanced CT through the gravid uterus. (a) Deformation of the fetal skull (arrow). (b) Acute
subarachnoid hemorrhages of the temporal and parietal lobes (*). (Reproduced with permission from [64])
5 Fetal Trauma
Table 5.2
imaging methods for fetal skeletal regions
of MR and experts in fetal MR is still limited.
The relatively long imaging acquisition times
cause image degradation from fetal movement.
Ultrafast MRI can overcome this
disadvantage.
history of trauma, a Doppler US of the fetal and
umbilical circulation over 48 h following the
accident might allow recognition of hemodynamic disturbances. Serial fetal cerebral US or
MRI of the brain soon after birth would detect the
ischemic lesions, thus facilitating the timing of
such prenatal cerebral insults.
Diagnostic accuracy of different
Region/technique 2D ultrasound 3D ultrasound Fetal CT
Cranium (−) (++) (++)
Face (−) (+) (++)
Vertebrae (−) (+) (++)
Ribs (−) (+) (++)
Scapula (−−) (−) (++)
Pelvis (−−) (−) (++)
Metaphyses (++) (+) (++)
Epiphyses (++) (+) (−)
Extremities (++) (+) (−)
Mineralization (−−) (−) (−)
Reproduced with permission from [66]
CT computed tomography. (−−): very difcult; (−): difcult and/or
does not visualize well; (+): easy and/or visualizes well; (++): visualizes very well
When a woman presents in pregnancy with a
5.2.4.2 Postdelivery
Injury of the fetus in blunt trauma is most fre-
quent in the last trimester of pregnancy and
often involves the fetal head [67, 68]. When
emergent CS is indicated due to fetal distress,
especially in the third trimester, and the new-
born present with low Apgar scores, cranial
(Doppler) US is mandatory. Doppler US of the
major cerebral arteries denes the hemody-
namic status of the brain, e.g., a high peak sys-
tolic and absence or inversion of the diastolic
ow component on the ow curve suggest brain
swelling (Fig. 5.6). More complex, especially

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a
b
125
cially at the brain convexity and the fossa pos-
terior. These lesions and skull fractures are
evaluated in more detail with CT or MRI
(Figs.5.7 and 5.8).
5.2.4.3 Diagnosis at Delivery
Diagnostic principles after delivery match those
for neonatal trauma, birth trauma, or abnormal
ndings during a clinical examination. Difcult
delivery is most commonly the result of a breech
presentation. A “crack” is an essential sign for
the early detection of a childbirth fracture [69]
after vaginal delivery or CS.Birth-related frac-
tures are fresh (Fig.5.9), while intrauterine frac-
tures delivered later show callus formation
(Fig.5.10). These fractures occur either with an
underlying disease prone to fracture or from a
difcult delivery. Underlying diseases should be
excluded. These include osteogenesis imperfecta
and other skeletal dysplasias, intrauterine growth
retardation, prematurity, and osteoporosis.
In children with neurodevelopmental disorders of unknown etiology, a history of
trauma in pregnancy should be sought,
especially with neuroimaging features
(MRI of the brain soon after birth showing
the ischemic lesions) suggestive of a preterm onset of injury [37].
c
Fig. 5.6 Cranial US, coronal and sagittal plane on the
second day after emergent delivery at 37weeks of gestation. (a, b) Cerebral edema: diffusely hypoechogenic
brain parenchyma, decreased visibility of the sulci and
hazy delineation of the anatomic lines, slit-like ventricles;
(c) the absent or reversed diastolic ow component suggesting increased vascular resistance in brain edema is
demonstrated with spectral Doppler imaging. (Reproduced
with permission from [67])
in the near-term infant, is a US evaluation of the
pericerebral and pericerebellar spaces and
smaller intraparenchymatous lesions, espe-
5.2.5 Dierential Diagnosis
First, the etiology of the fracture should be
dened. It can be spontaneous due to underlying
fetal disease, maternal abdominal trauma, or a
childbirth fracture (see Sect. 5.2.4.2). This is more
important for the medicolegal issue than for dif-
ferences in the treatment. The most common non-
fracture differential diagnosis is congenital bone
dysplasia found on X-ray (Fig.5.11) or maternal
transabdominal US (Fig. 5.12). The clinician
should be aware of the possibility that even with
maternal trauma, the fetus can have an underlying
bone disease that should be excluded postnatally.

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Fig. 5.7 (a) Axial CT on the rst day after emergency CS
at 38weeks of pregnancy. Subgaleal hematoma (sh) and
bilateral parietal skull fracture (arrowheads). (b) Axial
CT on the second day after emergency CS at 38weeks of
pregnancy. Diffuse brain edema (hypodense parenchyma,
hyperdense basal ganglia, no visible sulci), intraventricu-
lar (arrow), and subarachnoidal hemorrhage (arrow-
heads). (Reproduced with permission from [67])
Fig. 5.9 Elective lower segment transverse CS for breech
presentation at 39weeks’ gestation resulted in a bilateral
subtrochanteric fetal femoral fracture. (Reproduced with
permission from [28])
Fig. 5.8 Postmortem coronal FLAIR MRI on the third
day after emergency CS in 30 weeks’ pregnancy. The
extension (compared to previous ultrasound in Fig.5.6) of
the pericerebral hematoma (pc) and a cerebellar hemorrhagic (arrowhead) lesion. (Reproduced with permission
from [67])
5.2.6 Treatment
The timing and type of delivery depend on mater-
nal status (see Sect. 25.3.8) and the type and esti-
mated severity of the intrauterine fetal injury.

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Fig. 5.10 In addition to the callus, a minor lateral cortical defect at the apex of the angulation resembling a fracture was present on postdelivery plain X-ray. (Reproduced
with permission from [58])
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The timing and treatment type depends on the
intrauterine fetal injury type and estimated
severity.
5.2.6.1 Intrauterine Fractures
Uhde made one of the earliest reports on intrauterine fracture and healing in 1856 [72]. The
maternal injury occurred in the seventh month of
pregnancy. A term infant had fractures of the
clavicle and humerus. The callus was at both
fracture sites. Smith, in 1913, collected 44 cases
of intrauterine fractures [73]. According to Page,
Gurlt recorded 7 intrauterine fractures of the
humerus and femur without interruption of pregnancy [74].
Intrauterine fractures may spontaneously
heal in utero, as evidenced by callus formation
at the fracture site [23]. Treatment of traumatic
intrauterine fractures is primarily conservative.
Nonnecrotic fetal long bone and fetal skull frac-
ab
Fig. 5.11 (a) Appearance of the fetus after the termina-
tion of pregnancy at 19weeks’ gestation showing a typical posture of congenital deciency of the (short) femur
(arrow). (b) A radiograph demonstrates unilateral short
femur (arrow) and acetabular dysplasia. The arrow in
each gure part indicates a short femur. (Reproduced with
permission from [70])
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