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Abnormal uterine artery Doppler in small‐for‐gestational‐age pregnancies is associated with later hypertension
Author(s) -
McCowan Lesley ME,
North Robyn A,
Harding Jane E
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.734
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1479-828X
pISSN - 0004-8666
DOI - 10.1111/j.1479-828x.2001.tb01294.x
Subject(s) - medicine , preeclampsia , small for gestational age , gestational hypertension , obstetrics , uterine artery , umbilical artery , gestational age , interquartile range , pregnancy , fetus , gynecology , gestation , genetics , biology
SUMMARY In a cohort of normotensive small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) pregnancies, we aimed to determine the prevalence of later preeclampsia and gestational hypertension. We hypothesised that (i) uterine artery Doppler abnormalities would increase in severity from those with normotension to gestational hypertension to preeclampsia and (ii) the severity of uterine artery Doppler abnormalities would be related to the severity of fetal disease. Serial uterine and umbilical artery Doppler studies were performed on 224 normotensive women with SGA pregnancies, from detection of SGA until delivery. Outcomes were compared between groups that remained normotensive (n = 174) and those that developed gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. Of the women studied, 50 (22%) subsequently developed hypertension [(3% (n = 8) preeclampsia, 19% (n = 42) gestational hypertension)) at a median (interquartile range) of 19 (12 32) days after recog nition of SGA. Mean uterine artery resistance indices (RI) increased from women who remained normotensive (n = 174) to those who later developed gestational hypertension or preeclampsia [0.51