title: Outcome of 88 pregnancies with absent or reversed end-diastolic blood flow (ARED flow) in the umbilical arteries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate both perinatal and postneonatal morbidity and mortality in fetuses with absent or reversed end-diastolic flow (ARED flow) in the umbilical artery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 5 year prospective follow-up of 88 fetuses with ARED flow.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen stillbirths, 16 neonatal deaths, six postneonatal deaths and one death at 2 years of age were noted. Out of the 42 fetuses born alive, 36 showed a normal neurological development whereas six were mentally handicapped. Adverse prognosis was more frequently found in the group with absent end-diastolic flow at first examination and then reversed flow until delivery, compared to the groups of always absent or always reversed end-diastolic flows.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prompt delivery is recommended in these high-risk pregnancies in order to prevent long-term sequelae, obviously depending on the local limits of viability. Further studies appropriately designed for assessing long-term neurodevelopment of fetuses with ARED flow, although demanding, are mandatory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of S. João, Oporto, Portugal.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Montenegro
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tavares
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matias
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Leite
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D021041:Placental Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014469:Umbilical Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*