Abstract

Introduction: The colour flow Doppler imaging is already being used to analyse abnormal vascular flow patterns in intrauterine growth restriction and high-risk pregnancies. The study used middle cerebral artery and umbilical artery blood flow to link Doppler findings with perinatal outcome and IUGR in high-risk pregnancies.
Methods: Fortwo years, 100 women with singleton pregnancies with vertex presentation between 28 and 40 weeks of gestation complicated by preeclampsia and IUGR were examined for umbilical artery and middle cerebral artery Doppler waveforms at Jagannath Gupta Institute of Medical Science and Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Perinatal outcome data were captured and statistically analysed using the percentage and Chi-square test.
Results: In our investigation, 57% of the umbilical artery wave shapes had the highest LSCS for foetal distress. The umbilical artery PI offers the highest sensitivity for detecting IUGR (82.2%). Umbilical RI also predicted APGAR<48 hours with 100% sensitivity. Perinatal mortality was highest with abnormal PI (41.8%), followed by abnormal RI (34%), and abnormal S/D (31%). The aberrant PI group had the highest LSCS for foetal distress, at 30.2%. Perinatal death was 31.5% in those with a CPR of 48 hours and 100% sensitivity in predicting foetuses with APGAR.
Conclusion: Non-invasive techniques such as colour Doppler velocimetry is a useful method for assessing foetal well-being.