Objective: To study the relationship between preeclampsia umbilical blood flow changes and the pregnancy outcomes.
Method: The umbilical arterial blood flow parameters including the S/D, pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI) and the average birth weight, Apgar score and placental weight changes were analyzed in 106 preeclampsia patients (including 43 mild and 63 severe cases), with 89 women with normal pregnancy as the control. The relation between the blood flow parameters and the perinatal outcomes were analyzed.
Results: S/D, PI, and RI all tended to increase with the severity of preeclampsia, and these indices were significantly higher in patients with severe preeclampsia than in the control group (P<0.01) but showed no significant differences between mild preeclampsia group and the control group (P>0.05). The average birth weight of the newborns, Apgar scores, and placental weight were significantly lower (P<0.01), and the incidence of fetal growth restriction (FGR) and perinatal mortality significantly higher in severe preeclampsia group than in the control group (P<0.01). No significant differences were found in these parameters between the mild preeclampsia and the control groups (P>0.05).
Conclusions: Umbilical artery blood flow parameters as indicators for determining the fetal status can be used to predict the pregnancy outcomes.