To examine whether the magnitude-squared coherence between uterine and umbilical blood flow velocity waveforms can, in conjunction with estimated fetal weight, uterine and umbilical pulsatility indices, fetal and maternal heart rates, diastolic notching and the amniotic fluid index, create a sensitive and specific model for the prediction of placental dysfunction. ...

OBJECTIVE: Assess the prognostic value of ultrasound and Doppler parameters in severe preterm pre-eclampsia. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study in Cape Town, South Africa, involving 113 women with severe pre-eclampsia between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation and managed expectantly when suitable. Serial ultrasound and multivessel Doppler assessments were performed ...

The objective was to investigate the relationship between fetal aortic distension waveforms and fetal hypoxemia and/or acidosis. Aortic distension waveforms were recorded using an echo-tracking system in nine late-gestation catheterized fetal lambs. Under hypoxic conditions induced by inhalation of gas mixture, fetal blood pressure and aortic distension waveforms were recorded. ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the perinatal and neurodevelopmental outcome of small-for-gestational-age fetuses with normal umbilical artery Doppler managed expectantly during pregnancy and delivery. STUDY DESIGN: Perinatal and neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed from a cohort of singleton small-for-gestational-age fetuses with normal umbilical artery Doppler and normally grown controls matched by gestational age ...

Recent studies indicate that smoking/nicotine increases maternal blood pressure and decrease in uterine blood flow in pregnancy. However, the mechanisms are not fully understood. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that nicotine exposure decreases endothelium-dependent relaxation and increases vascular contractility of the uterine artery in pregnancy. Uterine ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between arterial resistance and placental growth hormone (hGH-V) levels in the maternal circulation. STUDY DESIGN: Sixty-seven women with normal pregnancy, 13 with preeclampsia (PE) and 11 with intrauterine fetal growth restriction (IUGR) underwent Doppler sonography of the placental and nonplacental uterine and cubital artery and ...

OBJECTIVES: To correlate levels of angiogenic growth factors with Doppler ultrasound parameters in pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). METHODS: In 16 women with pre-eclampsia and 15 women with isolated IUGR, pulsatility indices (PI) in the umbilical and uterine arteries were measured by Doppler ultrasonography. At delivery, ...

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to assess the role of uterine activity on fetal outcome. STUDY DESIGN: Intrauterine pressure (IUP) recordings from consecutive term singleton, vaginal deliveries collected between June 1, 1993, and July 1, 2004, were analyzed. One thousand four hundred thirty-three recordings were included. IUP data ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review publications, published during the past year, that have examined uterine artery Doppler findings in women with adverse pregnancy outcome. RECENT FINDINGS: Almost two-thirds of stillbirths that occur in the early preterm period (up to 32 weeks) can be predicted by uterine artery Doppler at 23 ...

OBJECTIVES: To study a possible effect of metformin on the uteroplacental circulation. METHODS: Forty pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of metformin (1700 mg/day) during pregnancy. Doppler ultrasound examinations of the uterine arteries were performed at 12, 19, 24, 32 and ...

BACKGROUND: An association has been proposed between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders. Ambulatory blood pressure and carotid artery elasticity were therefore prospectively investigated in matched PCOS and control pregnancies. METHODS: Twenty-two PCOS-control subject pairs with singleton pregnancies, matched for age, body mass index, parity and ethnicity, were ...

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to determine if there is a relationship between middle cerebral artery (MCA) peak systolic velocity (PSV) and perinatal mortality in preterm intrauterine growth-restricted (IUGR) fetuses, to compare the performance of MCA pulsatility index (PI), MCA-PSV and umbilical artery (UA) absent/reversed end-diastolic velocity (ARED) ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the use of a personal computer (PC)-based, continuous-wave Doppler machine by a trained midwife at a secondary hospital to assess umbilical artery flow velocity waveforms (FVW) in referred women. METHODS: Pregnant women referred for suspected poor fetal growth were evaluated from June 2002 through December 2004. The ...

OBJECTIVE: Estimation of cardiac output by continuous finger arterial pressure waveform analysis with Modelflow is a noninvasive technique for beat-to-beat hemodynamic assessment. The purpose of this study was to compare this method in pregnant women with the more commonly used Doppler echocardiography. STUDY DESIGN: In 16 primigravid women, stroke volume ...

OBJECTIVE: To test our hypothesis that human fetal N-terminal peptide of proB-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) secretion is increased in proportion to the severity of fetal cardiovascular compromise in intrauterine growth restriction. METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study consisted of 42 growth-restricted fetuses who underwent Doppler ultrasonographic examination of cardiovascular hemodynamics within ...

Cornual pregnancy is a rare form of ectopic pregnancy. We describe a case of cornual pregnancy suspected by two-dimensional ultrasonography (2DUS) and confirmed by three-dimensional volume contrast imaging in the C-plane. Three-dimensional power Doppler showed a particularly rich blood supply and two-dimensional color Doppler mapping demonstrated arteriovenous malformation (AVM). The ...

AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate left ventricular (LV) function during normal pregnancy and investigate the effect of maternal factors. Little information about LV diastolic and long-axis systolic function in normal pregnancy exists. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty eight Doppler echocardiography and DTI studies of ...

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relation between fetal acid-base and neonatal status in an observational cohort study of 900 consecutive women with singleton pregnancies at term undergoing elective cesarean section. METHODS: The women were divided into 3 groups according to the type of anesthesia administered. Fetal acid-base status was assessed from ...

INTRODUCTION: The proper function of the fetal heart is indispensable for the fetal development and the normal fetal growth. For prenatal medicine, Doppler sonography offers the possibility of a non-invasive method to examine the fetal cardiovascular function under normal and pathological circumstances. The role of the Doppler sonography is to ...

OBJECTIVE: Singleton pregnancies resulting from assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have an increased risk of preterm delivery, pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. The aim of the present study was to determine whether first-trimester trophoblastic invasion, as assessed by uterine artery Doppler velocimetry, is different in singleton pregnancies resulting from ART compared ...

Studies in ovine fetus and placenta have pointed to an interaction between the fetal liver and the placenta. The supply of amino acids and carbohydrates depends on this interaction. These studies have led to clinical studies in normal and high-risk pregnancies. The objective of the present review was to compare ...

Prenatally, the umbilicus is of paramount importance, providing the gateway between the mother and the fetus. As the fetus becomes increasingly autonomous at the end of the second month of fetal life, the connections (vitelline, urachal) diminish in significance and involute. Disturbances in this process can result in a wide ...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlations between the haematological parameter mean platelet volume and Doppler velocimetry parameters in order to improve clinical management in third trimester complicated pregnancies (pre-eclampsia, PE, and IUGR) affected by altered uterine resistances. Fifty-one patients were included in the abnormal uterine arteries ...

INTRODUCTION: Doppler sonography of maternal vessels as a predictor for preeclampsia is an established screening method in the second trimester. Considering the first trimester its benefit has not been conclusively proven so far. Up to now the flow pattern of maternal vessels in the first trimester has only been insufficiently ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of intensive fetal surveillance via Doppler ultrasound and fetal non-stress test on the perinatal outcome of pregnant women undergoing an intensified hemofiltration scheme. METHODS: Five consecutive pregnancies of women undergoing intensified hemodialysis were analyzed due to the following parameters: maternal background, hemodialysis schedule during pregnancy, ...

OBJECTIVE: The present study was aimed at evaluating acoustic outputs during clinical ultrasound examinations, as expressed by the thermal index (TI) and the mechanical index (MI), during the second half of pregnancy and comparing acoustic outputs between B-mode and Doppler examinations. METHODS: Patients with suspected fetal growth problems undergoing Doppler ...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to examine the value of the fetal biophysical profile (FBP) and the Doppler cerebro-umbilical ratio (C/U) in the assessment of peripartal cardiotocography (CTG) in growth-retarded fetuses. METHODS: The prospective study included 58 pregnant women with singleton pregnancy from 28 to 42 weeks of ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare maternal cardiac function in women with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) to those with small-for-gestational age (SGA) pregnancies (non-IUGR). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving maternal echocardiography and uterine, umbilical and fetal middle cerebral artery Doppler assessment in 52 normotensive women at 20-36 weeks' gestation with SGA ...

This is a report on our experience in the application of biomagnetism in perinatal medicine. We provide a brief description of our research work in fetal magnetoencephalography and fetal magnetocardiography in normal, preeclamptic and IUGR pregnancies, together with hemodynamics of the umbilical cord and uterine arteries, providing a new approach ...

AIMS: To evaluate the effect of antenatal betamethasone and ritodrine in third trimester low risk singleton pregnancies by Doppler technology. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eighty-four third trimester pregnant women who received a full course of betamethasone and delivering uneventfully were recruited. The Doppler examination included the assessment of the pulsatility index ...

The present study was performed to compare serum concentrations of maternal and fetal angiogenic growth factors in IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction) and normal pregnancy at the time of delivery. VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), PlGF (placental growth factor), sFlt-1 (soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1), sKDR (soluble kinase domain receptor) and ...

OBJECTIVE: N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) modulates placental response to hypoxia. We therefore hypothesized that the expression of NDRG1 is altered in placentas from pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) or preeclampsia (PE), which are associated with fetoplacental underperfusion and cellular hypoxia. STUDY DESIGN: Thirty-five pregnant women in the ...

0 An adequate placental perfusion is crucial for the normal growth and well being of the fetus and newborn. The blood flow through the placenta can be compromised in a variety of clinical situations, always causing important damage to the gestation. Our objective is to identify significant predictors for adverse ...

The applicability of Doppler velocimetry has been well established regarding intrauterine growth restriction and fetal hypoxia. This method can also be used to determine fetal anemia and cardiac malformations. The main fetal arteries evaluated by Doppler velocimetry are the middle cerebral artery and the umbilical artery. However, the fetal aorta ...

The evaluation of fetal well-being by Doppler velocimetry in cases of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is of great importance as it is very useful in detecting those IUGR fetuses that are at high risk because of hypoxemia. Several Doppler studies initially on fetal arteries and recently on the fetal venous ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Aspirin therapy from the first trimester of pregnancy may benefit women at high risk for preeclampsia. We review publications from the past year that examine first-trimester screening studies for preeclampsia. RECENT FINDINGS: For a false positive rate of 5%, first-trimester uterine artery Doppler studies will detect 50-65% ...

Pregnancy, from implantation to parturition, presents unique and profound challenges to a women's hemostatic system. During pregnancy, potentially catastrophic bleeding can occur during implantation and endovascular trophoblast invasion of the maternal spiral arteries. The risk of hemorrhage reaches a peak during the third stage of labor when the placenta is ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the influence of vaginal micronized progesterone and oral dydrogesterone supplementation on uteroplacental circulation in early pregnancy that is complicated by threatened abortion. DESIGN: Randomized, parallel group, double-blind, double dummy-controlled study. SETTING: Tertiary care university hospital. PATIENT(S): Fifty-three patients with threatened abortion and a living embryo. INTERVENTION(S): Three ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible association between mid-trimester maternal plasma homocysteine concentration, uterine artery Doppler measurements in a two-stage screening strategy, and outcome of pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted on healthy women undergoing screening for pre-eclampsia by uterine artery Doppler velocimetry at 20-22 and 24-26 ...

Several neural interfaces have been developed to control neuroprostheses and hybrid bionic systems. Among them, intraneural electrodes are very promising because they represent an interesting trade-off between the needs for high selectivity and for reduced invasiveness. However, in most of the cases, no particular attention has been devoted so far ...

OBJECTIVES: To calculate the normal range for the fetal middle cerebral artery (MCA)/uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) ratio in the third trimester of pregnancy and to assess its value, compared with that of the MCA/umbilical artery PI ratio, in predicting an unfavorable outcome of pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia. METHODS: Doppler ...

Obesity is well known to be a contributory risk factor for several disease states, including diabetes mellitus. Further, obese women are more prone to have babies born with congenital abnormalities. Paucity of data on maternal-fetal disposition of essential trace elements in obese pregnancies prompted us to undertake this study. Maternal ...

OBJECTIVE: A single umbilical artery (SUA) is an independent risk factor for perinatal morbidity and mortality in healthy fetuses. The aims of the study were (1) to determine middle cerebral artery (MCA) blood flow velocimetric values among fetuses without structural or chromosomal anomalies with an SUA and to compare them ...

OBJECTIVE: To describe sequential changes in uterine artery waveform between the first and second trimesters of gestation and to analyze their association with the subsequent risk of hypertensive disorders and fetal growth restriction (IUGR). METHODS: Sequential uterine artery Doppler recordings were obtained in a final cohort of 870 singleton pregnancies ...

OBJECTIVE: Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is an echocardiographic technique for assessing the diastolic function that is relatively independent of preload. Since loading conditions change significantly during pregnancy, a load-independent technique will give a more accurate assessment of diastolic function in pregnant women. The aim of this study was to evaluate ...

Cardiovascular adaptation is a hallmark of pregnancy. Here we report on vascular hyperresponsiveness to an endogenous vasodilator, adrenomedullin (ADM), during pregnancy. Intravenous administration of ADM dose dependently decreased the mean arterial pressure, and the decrease was significantly greater in pregnant compared with nonpregnant rats without affecting the heart rate. In ...

OBJECTIVE: The turgor of Wharton's jelly depends on osmotic and hydrostatic pressures. We tested the hypothesis that umbilical ring constriction has an impact on umbilical venous hemodynamics and thus on the volume of Wharton's jelly. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study of 237 low-risk singleton pregnancies, the cross-sectional area of the ...

OBJECTIVE: Uterine artery Doppler is becoming a routine part of pregnancy surveillance in high-risk pregnancies. Which blood flow velocity waveform index to measure is debated and the 'notch' in early diastole is not widely accepted, as it is a subjective measure. The aim of the present study was to evaluate ...

Doppler analysis of the uterine arteries is currently used for pre-eclampsia (PE) screening. PLAC1 is a trophoblast-specific gene, and it is known that in normal pregnancies, trophoblastic cells are released into the maternal circulation, where specific trophoblastic mRNA can be detected. In PE, as in women who eventually develop PE, ...

To evaluate whether intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) as seen in preeclampsia is associated with high levels of fetal DNA in maternal circulation, and whether fetal DNA is related to altered uterine and/or umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry. Fetal DNA quantification was performed by real-time PCR on SRY sequences in 64 male-bearing ...