Effect of absent end diastolic flow velocity in the fetal umbilical artery on subsequent outcome
Neonatal Unit, Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion,
Edinburgh
Correspondence to: Dr P N A Adiotomre, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Walsgrave Maternity Hospital, Walsgrave, Coventry CV2 2DX.
Accepted 19 September 1996
Sixty babies, delivered over a six and a half year period, who
had absent end diastolic frequency (AEDF) in the umbilical artery, were
studied. Individually matched control pregnancies for gestational age,
birthweight, maternal clinical condition and date of delivery, in whom
umbilical artery recordings showed end diastolic frequency, were also studied.
Matching was achieved in 36 cases. Neonates from case
pregnancies showed no increase in necrotising enterocolitis,
intraventricular haemorrhage, pneumo-thorax, neonatal death or
bronchopulmonary dysplasia. However, they were significantly less
likely to require ventilation for respiratory distress syndrome
(P=0.02).
Although AEDF indicates a fetus under vascular stress, this
finding alone will include a spectrum of response in the baby, from the
well compensated to the irreversibly damaged. Delivery at different
points in the deteriorating fetal environment may explain discrepant
study results. This intrauterine stress, by increasing fetal
corticosteroid and thyroid hormones, may account for enhanced lung
maturity. Predictions of neonatal course need to be based on more
comprehensive awareness of fetal status.
© 1997 by Archives of Disease in Childhood
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Dorling, J, Kempley, S, Leaf, A
(2005). Feeding growth restricted preterm infants with abnormal antenatal Doppler results. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed.
90: F359-F363
[Abstract] [Full Text]
- Full Text
- Full Text (PDF)
- Submit a response
- Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me when eLetters are posted
- Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
- Email this link to a friend
- Similar articles in ADC Online
- Similar articles in PubMed
- Add article to my folders
- Download to citation manager
- Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Topic Collections
Bookmark with
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
