Fetal Doppler flow measurements in the early second trimester: a correlation with fetal outcome.
In 31 women with a singleton pregnancy, abdominal duplex doppler examinations were performed at W16-W17, W26 (+/- 2 weeks) and W34 (+/- 2 weeks) in order to study the flow velocity wave (FVW) indices in the early second trimester and their predictive value for fetal outcome. 24 women with a normal pregnancy outcome were considered as the reference group. In the early second trimester, end-diastolic block occurs frequently at the 150 Hz thump filter setting (15/24 in the fetal descending aorta, 19/24 in the umbilical artery). At the 50 Hz filter setting, end diastolic block appeared in 1/24 cases in the aorta and in 2/24 cases in the umbilical artery. The finding did not persist throughout pregnancy. The flow-velocity indices in the early second trimester in the small-for-dates were comparable to the normal group. We conclude that high peripheral resistance is a common finding in the fetal circulation in early pregnancy. It is not predictive of subsequent growth retardation.
Merchiers
E
E
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, State University of Gent, Belgium.
Defoort
P
P
Zweers
R
R
Beghin
C
C
Thiery
M
M
Martens
G
G
Martens
I
I
Vandekerckhove
D
D
D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*; D014469:Umbilical Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology