Aortic isthmus blood flow in fetuses of diabetic mothers.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that the aortic isthmus flow index (IFI) is lower in fetuses of diabetic mothers than in fetuses of nondiabetic mothers.


METHODS
We performed a cross-sectional observational study to assess the IFI in fetuses, with (n = 13) and without (n = 37) myocardial hypertrophy, of mothers with diabetes mellitus and in fetuses of nondiabetic mothers (n = 23). Analysis of variance and Tukey test were used to assess differences among the groups.


RESULTS
There were no differences in maternal or gestational age among the groups. In fetuses of diabetic mothers, the mean IFI in fetuses with myocardial hypertrophy was 1.19 ± 0.06, and in fetuses without it was 1.18 ± 0.09. The mean IFI in fetuses of nondiabetic mothers was 1.32 ± 0.07 (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The IFI in fetuses of diabetic mothers is lower than in fetuses of nondiabetic mothers, possibly as a result of a decreased left ventricular compliance.
Fundação Universitária de Cardiologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. zielinsky.pesquisa@cardiologia.org.br
Paulo
P
Zielinsky
Renato
R
Frajndlich
Luiz Henrique
LH
Nicoloso
João Luiz Langer
JL
Manica
Antonio Luiz
AL
Piccoli
Marina Resener
MR
de Morais
Luciano
L
Bender
Júlia
J
Silva
Patrícia
P
Pizzato
Alexandre
A
Naujorks
D000328:Adult; D001011:Aorta / Q000502:physiology*; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D055815:Young Adult