title: Optimal interval between middle cerebral artery velocity measurements when monitoring pregnancies complicated by red cell alloimmunization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the optimal interval between middle cerebral artery (MCA) Doppler measurements when monitoring pregnancies complicated by red cell alloimmunization.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine fetal blood samplings (FBS) performed on 24 pregnant women with red blood cell alloimmunization followed up using both MCA peak systolic velocity and time-averaged mean velocity measurements on weekly basis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 65.5 and 37.5% of women with moderate or severe fetal anemia had abnormal MCA Doppler values 1 and 2 weeks, respectively, before FBS was performed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A weekly assessment of women at risk for fetal anemia is optimal in most of the cases even though 35.5% of cases of moderate or severe fetal anemia are expected to have normal Doppler measurements the week before the decision of doing an FBS is made.
authors.affiliation: Fetal Medicine Research Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. joseluis.bartha@uca.es
authors.forename: Jose L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bartha
authors.forename: Sherif A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Abdel-Fattah
authors.forename: Alyson
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Denbow
authors.forename: Phillipa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kyle
authors.forename: Peter W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Soothill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012203:Rh Isoimmunization / Q000150:complications*; D013997:Time Factors; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal