Hematological indices at birth in relation to arterial and venous Doppler in small-for-gestational-age fetuses.
OBJECTIVE
To correlate Doppler results with hematological indices at birth in small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses.


METHODS
Prospective study.


METHODS
Tertiary teaching hospital, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Population. One hundred singleton pregnancies with SGA fetuses of > 27 weeks gestational age.


METHODS
All women had Doppler velocimetry of the umbilical arteries, middle cerebral artery, and ductus venosus within < 72 hours prior to delivery. After birth, umbilical artery blood was collected for hematological analysis.


METHODS
The association between fetal Doppler velocimetry pulsatility index (PI) and some hematological indices.


RESULTS
Umbilical artery PI showed a positive correlation with nucleated red blood cell count in the umbilical cord (r = 0.46; p < 0.01), and a negative correlation with platelet count (r = -0.53; p < 0.01) and white blood cell count (r = -0.42; p < 0.01). Middle cerebral artery PI was positively correlated with platelet count (r = 0.43; p < 0.01) and white blood cell count (r = 0.38; p < 0.01), and was negatively correlated with nucleated red blood cell count (r = -0.39; p < 0.01). The ductus venosus pulsatility index showed a positive correlation with nucleated red blood cell count (r = 0.36; p < 0.01), and a negative correlation with platelet count (r = -0.37; p < 0.01) and white blood cell count (r = -0.26; p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
A significant positive or negative correlation between nucleated red blood cell, platelet and white blood cell counts, and Doppler indices suggests an association between placental insufficiency and the fetal hematological response.
Martinelli
Silvio
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. martinellisilvio@yahoo.com.br
Francisco
Rossana Pulcinelli Vieira
RP
Bittar
Roberto Eduardo
RE
Zugaib
Marcelo
M
D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014469:Umbilical Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
D006454:Hemoglobins