The effect of improvement of umbilical artery absent end-diastolic velocity on perinatal outcome.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to analyze cases in which antenatal improvement of absent fetal umbilical artery end-diastolic velocity was detected and to correlate improvement with perinatal outcome.


METHODS
Forty cases of umbilical artery absent end-diastolic velocity in singleton pregnancies were retrospectively reviewed. Maternal characteristics and perinatal outcomes were compared in cases where improvement of end-diastolic velocity was diagnosed and those in which no improvement was detected.


RESULTS
Eleven cases of absent end-diastolic velocity showed antenatal improvement and were associated with more advanced gestational age at delivery, longer diagnosis-to-delivery interval, larger birth weights, and a lower incidence of neonatal death than those fetuses without antenatal improvement.


CONCLUSIONS
Improvement of umbilical artery absent end-diastolic velocity can occur and is associated with improved pregnancy outcome when compared with patients without antenatal improvement of diastolic velocity.
Bell
J G
JG
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Pennsylvania, Hospital, Philadelphia 19107.
Ludomirsky
A
A
Bottalico
J
J
Weiner
S
S
D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002585:Cesarean Section; D003971:Diastole; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014469:Umbilical Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*