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Middle cerebral artery flow velocity waveforms in fetal hypoxaemia
Author(s) -
VYAS S.,
NICOLAIDES K. H.,
BOWER S.,
CAMPBELL S.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1990.tb02573.x
Subject(s) - fetus , middle cerebral artery , gestation , medicine , blood flow , cardiology , gestational age , cerebral blood flow , anesthesia , pregnancy , biology , ischemia , genetics
Summary. In 81 small‐for‐gestational age fetuses (SGA) colour flow imaging was used to identify the fetal middle cerebral artery for subsequent pulsed Doppler studies. Impedence to flow (pulsatility index; PI) was significantly lower, and mean blood velocity was significantly higher, than the respective reference ranges with gestation. Fetal blood sampling by cordocentesis was performed in all SGA fetuses and a significant quadratic relation was found between fetal hypoxaemia and the degree of reduction in the PI of FVWs from the fetal middle cerebral artery. Thus, maximum reduction in PI is reached when the fetal PO 2 is 2‐4 SD below the normal mean for gestation. When the oxygen deficit is greater there is a tendency for the PI to rise, and this presumably reflects the development of brain oedema.