Doppler ultrasound study of flow velocity waveforms of the uterine and umbilical arteries in cases of placenta previa

ABSTRACT

Thirty patients having placenta previa and 20 normal pregnant women were investigated for the uterine and umbilical artery flow velocity waveforms during the third trimester of pregnancy. All c and idates were subjected to initial ultrasound examination, weekly Doppler ultrasound for uterine and umbilical artery S/D ratios, and weekly ultrasound for interval growth and BPS. Neonatal outcome was assessed by 1 and 5-minute Apgar scores, neonatal weight and placental weight. The study revealed no significant effect of placental location on uterine and umbilical artery S/D in cases of placenta previa and normal controls. However, cases of unilateral placenta previa had significantly higher uterine S/D ratio with compromised placental perfusion and low birth weight. Finally, the report recommended the use of uterine and umbilical artery Doppler studies complemented by standard surveillance tests as BPS to attain a more reliable assessment of fetal well-being