title: Added value of umbilical vein flow as a predictor of perinatal outcome in term small-for-gestational-age fetuses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare umbilical vein (UV) flow with standard Doppler parameters in prediction of adverse perinatal outcome in late-onset small-for-gestational age (SGA) fetuses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Umbilical, uterine and middle cerebral arteries, and UV blood flow were evaluated by Doppler before delivery in a cohort of 193 term SGA fetuses. The value of the Doppler parameters to predict risk of emergency delivery for non-reassuring fetal status and neonatal metabolic acidosis was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-three (27%) fetuses had non-reassuring fetal status requiring emergency delivery, whereas 21 (11%) newborns developed neonatal metabolic acidosis. Multivariable analysis showed that significant contributions to prediction of emergency delivery for non-reassuring fetal status and neonatal metabolic acidosis were provided by middle cerebral artery (MCA) pulsatility index (PI) and UV blood flow normalized by fetal weight. Decision tree analysis defined three groups with increasing risk of need for emergency delivery for non-reassuring fetal status: MCA-PI > 1.46 (risk 15.6%); MCA-PI ≤ 1.46 and UV blood flow > 68 mL/min/kg (risk 25%); and MCA-PI ≤ 1.46 and UV flow ≤ 68 mL/min/kg (risk 53.1%); and two groups with different risks of neonatal metabolic acidosis: UV flow > 68 mL/min/kg or UV flow ≤ 68 mL/min/kg and MCA-PI > 1.23 (risk ≤ 10%); and UV flow ≤ 68 mL/min/kg and MCA-PI ≤ 1.23 (risk 39.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The evaluation of UV blood flow with spectral brain Doppler allows better identification of SGA fetuses with late-onset intrauterine growth restriction at risk of adverse perinatal outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Institute Clínic of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Neonatology (ICGON), Hospital Clinic-IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona and Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parra-Saavedra
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crovetto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Triunfo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Savchev
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gratacos
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Figueras
mesh_terms: D000138:Acidosis / Q000151:congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000502:physiology*; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000502:physiology*; D055988:Uterine Artery / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Doppler; IUGR; SGA; decision tree; growth restriction; perinatal outcome; weight centile