Umbilical Artery Doppler Indices at the Perivesical Segment in Growth-Restricted Fetuses

To compare perinatal outcomes of growth-restricted fetuses with bilateral positive end-diastolic (PED) flow at the perivesical segment (PVC) and growth-restricted fetuses with unilateral or bilateral absent/reverse end-diastolic (ARED) flow at the PVC segment. A total of 119 growth-restricted fetuses with PED flow at the free loop of the umbilical artery were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Methods The patients were separated into three groups according to presence or absence of the end-diastolic flow at the perivesical segment. Patients with bilateral PED flow at the PVC segment were enrolled in Group1, patients with unilateral and bilateral (ARED) flow at the PVC segment were enrolled in Group 2 and 3, respectively. The perinatal outcomes of the groups were investigated. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of maternal age, gravida, parity, the gestational age at ultrasound examination and the pulsatility index of free umbilical artery. The gestational age at delivery, the birth weight and the interval between the diagnosis and delivery were found significantly higher in Group 1 than the other groups, there were no significant differences between Group 2 and 3 in terms of these parameters. More adverse pregnancy outcomes were observed in the unilateral and bilateral ARED flow groups than the bilateral PED flow group. In addition to the free loop Doppler indices, measuring the umbilical arteries Doppler indices at the PVC segment could contribute to the determination of more growth-restricted fetuses at risk of hypoxia.