title: Ductus venosus Doppler velocimetry in normal pregnancies from 11 to 13 + 6 weeks' gestation - a Taiwanese study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To investigate flow in the ductus venosus at 11-13 + 6 weeks of gestation in women with normal pregnancies in the Taiwanese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and fifty-two normal singleton pregnancies with gestational ages ranging from 11 to 13 + 6 weeks were examined in this study. The pulsatility index for veins (PIV), resistance index (RI), peak velocity during ventricular systole (S-wave), and peak velocity during ventricular diastole (D-wave) were recorded from the ductus venosus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We analyzed 252 participants who all fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria of our study. The mean maternal age was 31 (range 19-45 years), with a corresponding gestational age of 12 + 4 weeks (range 11-13 + 6). No significant change was found in the vascular indices as gestational age increased for the S-wave (S-wave = 1.4214 (GA) + 17.448, r = 0.09, P = 0.154), PIV (PIV = -0.0358 (GA) + 1.4143, r = -0.05, P = 0.378) and RI (RI = -0.035 (GA) + 1.1478, r = -0.064, P = 0.468). In contrast, the D-wave behaved differently from the other variables. There was a significant increase (r = 0.155, P = 0.013) in the D-wave with gestational age (D-wave = 1.4896 (GA) - 7.1547).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  D-wave velocity in the ductus venosus increased with gestational age. S-wave peak velocity showed an increasing trend and PIV showed a decreasing trend with gestational age, but they did not reach statistical significance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chien-Chih
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Hsing-I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Peng-Hui
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ming-Jie
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chi-Mou
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Juang
authors.forename: Huann-Cheng
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Horng
authors.forename: Yi-Cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chia-Chien
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Huei-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Shiu
authors.forename: Mei-Mei
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Huei-Jie
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chih-Yao
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kuan-Chong
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Chao
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D005333:Fetus / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal