Background: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is an important public health menace in both developed and developing countries with high maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality globally. A major goal towards improving antenatal management of PE is to develop accurate prediction models that identify women at high risk of this disease for appropriate interventions. Methodology: In a longitudinal cohort study, high-risk singleton pregnant women enroled between April 2015 and February 2016 had uterine and umbilical artery Doppler sonography at 22–24 weeks and 32–34 weeks gestation and had their delivery outcomes documented by the obstetrician and gynaecologist. The peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), Resistivity Index (RI), Pulsatility Index (PI) and the systolic-diastolic ratio (S/D) were recorded. Results: Among the ninety-eight high-risk pregnant women, 61 (62.2%) developed PE and 32 (32.8%) did not have PE. In the PE cases, 15 (24.5%) were mild and 46 (74.5%) were severe PE. The uterine artery PI was significantly associated with PE. A unit increase in uterine PI in high-risk pregnancies, increases the odd of PE by 37.37 times (95% confidence interval; odds ratio = 6.09, 241.9; P < 0.001). The combination of the uterine and umbilical PSV predicted 80.3% of severe PE. All three spontaneous abortions were in women who developed PE, more caesarean section (48.4%) and 69.2% of 45 pre-term deliveries occurred in women with severe PE. Conclusion: The findings from this study show significantly lower uterine and umbilical arteries PSV and EDV but higher RI, PI and S/D in cases that developed PE. The uterine artery PI is the best predictor of PE, whereas the combinations of uterine and umbilical arteries PSV best predict severity of PE among high-risk pregnant Nigeria women.

Uterine and umbilical artery doppler in women with pre-eclampsia and their pregnancy outcomes

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a common pregnancy complication and is a leading cause of fetal morbidity and mortality. Placental hypoxia contributes to adverse fetal consequences, such ...

Maternal vascular responses to hypoxia in a rat model of intrauterine growth restriction

Objectives To examine associations between maternal pregnancy-specific stress and umbilical (UA PI) and middle cerebral artery pulsatility indices (MCA PI), cerebroplacental ratio, absent end diastolic flow (AEDF), birthweight, prematurity, neonatal intensive care unit admission and adverse obstetric outcomes in women with small for gestational age pregnancies. It was hypothesised that maternal pregnancy-specific stress would be associated with fetoplacental haemodynamics and neonatal outcomes. Design This is a secondary analysis of data collected for a large-scale prospective observational study. Setting This study was conducted in the seven major obstetric hospitals in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Participants Participants included 331 women who participated in the Prospective Observational Trial to Optimise Paediatric Health in Intrauterine Growth Restriction. Women with singleton pregnancies between 24 and 36 weeks gestation, estimated fetal weight Primary and secondary outcome measures Serial Doppler ultrasound examinations of the umbilical and middle cerebral arteries between 20 and 42 weeks gestation, Pregnancy Distress Questionnaire (PDQ) scores between 23 and 40 weeks gestation and neonatal outcomes. Results Concerns about physical symptoms and body image at 35–40 weeks were associated with lower odds of abnormal UAPI (OR 0.826, 95% CI 0.696 to 0.979, p=0.028). PDQ score (OR 1.073, 95% CI 1.012 to 1.137, p=0.017), concerns about birth and the baby (OR 1.143, 95% CI 1.037 to 1.260, p=0.007) and concerns about physical symptoms and body image (OR 1.283, 95% CI 1.070 to 1.538, p=0.007) at 29–34 weeks were associated with higher odds of abnormal MCA PI. Concerns about birth and the baby at 29–34 weeks (OR 1.202, 95% CI 1.018 to 1.421, p=0.030) were associated with higher odds of AEDF. Concerns about physical symptoms and body image at 35–40 weeks were associated with decreased odds of neonatal intensive care unit admission (OR 0.635, 95% CI 0.435 to 0.927, p=0.019). Conclusions These findings suggest that fetoplacental haemodynamics may be a mechanistic link between maternal prenatal stress and fetal and neonatal well-being, but additional research is required.

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/7/6/e015326.full.pdf

Pregnancy-specific stress, fetoplacental haemodynamics, and neonatal outcomes in women with small for gestational age pregnancies: a secondary analysis of the multicentre Prospective Observational Trial to Optimise Paediatric Health in Intrauterine Growth Restriction.

Placental ischemia in preeclampsia (PE) results in hypertension and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Stimulation of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) reduces blood pressure in the clinically r...

Stimulation of soluble guanylate cyclase diminishes intrauterine growth restriction in a rat model of placental ischemia

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to show that is the incidence of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in women with preeclampsia (PE), assessment of cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) to establish the diagnostic value of CPR in fetuses with preeclampsia with/without IUGR. MATERIAL AND METHODS We performed an analysis of 49 cases with gestational hypertension and PE and 16 cases with normal pregnancy for control lot, study in Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic of the Municipal Hospital Filantropia, Craiova, between October 2013 and October 2015. It was performed clinical and laboratory evaluation and management of each case. CPR ratio was measured in the third trimester in all cases, being studied according to the normal and abnormal values obtained, following the evolution of the newborn. RESULTS Mild PE cases were predominant with 21 cases (19.27%), severe PE accounted for 16 cases (14.68%) and gestational hypertension was found in 16 cases in our study. Distribution of IUGR cases presented interesting and contradictory data, because we met cases of IUGR in pregnancies without PE, at a rate of only 1.54%. The incidence of IUGR was significantly higher in cases with severe early-onset PE (10.20%). Cases of severe PE, but with late-onset, had IUGR in only 2.04% of cases. We found a significant statistical significance (p <0.005) on the incidence of IUGR in cases with severe early-onset PE. CPR identified adverse perinatal outcomes in 18.46% of cases with CPR <1.08. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that early onset severe PE and concomitantly IUGR affects a significant proportion of pregnancies. CPR can be used to identify fetuses with an increased risk of intrauterine compromise.

Utility of Cerebroplacental Ratio in IUGR Fetuses from Pregnancy with Preeclampsia in Prediction the Risk for Perinatal Complications.

Worldwide preeclampsia (PE) is the leading cause of maternal death and affects 5 to 8% of pregnant women. PE is characterized by elevated blood pressure and proteinuria. Doppler Ultrasound (US) evaluation has been considered a useful method for prediction of PE; however, there is no complete data about the most frequently altered US parameters in the pathology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the uterine, umbilical, and the middle cerebral arteries using Doppler US parameters [resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), notch (N), systolic peak (SP) and their combinations] in pregnant women, in order to make a global evaluation of hemodynamic repercussion caused by the established PE. A total of 102 pregnant Mexican women (65 PE women and 37 normotensive women) were recruited in a cases and controls study. Blood velocity waveforms from uterine, umbilical, and middle cerebral arteries, in pregnancies from 24 to 37 weeks of gestation were recorded by trans-abdominal examination with a Toshiba Ultrasound Power Vision 6000 SSA-370A, with a 3.5 MHz convex transducer. Abnormal general Doppler US profile showed a positive association with PE [odds ratio (OR) = 2.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2 - 7.3, P = 0.021)], and a specificity and predictive positive value of 89.2% and 88.6%, respectively. Other parameters like N presence, RI and PI of umbilical artery, as well as the PI of middle cerebral artery, showed differences between groups (P values < 0.05). General Doppler US result, as well as N from uterine vessel, RI from umbilical artery, and PI from umbilical and middle cerebral arteries in their individual form, may be considered as tools to determine hemodynamic repercussion caused by PE.

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Mauro A Ochoa-Torres

Papers

Doppler ultrasound evaluation in preeclampsia