Investigating Uterine Artery Doppler Indices in Normal Pregnancies

Background & Objective: Clinical use of uterine artery (UtA) Doppler ultrasound imaging requires reference values, however despite the common use of UtA Doppler examination during pregnancy, to the best of our knowledge, there is no such range for Iranian pregnant women. Therefore, the present study was conducted aimed to investigate uterine artery Doppler indices in Iranian normal pregnancies. Materials & Methods: This observational longitudinal study was conducted on ۴۸۶ low-risk pregnant women. The amount of plausibility index (PI) and resistance index (RI), as well as the presence of diastolic notch was assessed in weeks ۱۱ to ۱۴, ۱۷ to ۲۴, and ۲۷ to ۳۲ through Doppler ultrasound. Results: The bilateral notch for gestational age of ۱۱ to ۱۴ weeks was detected at about ۶%, for gestational age of ۱۷ to ۲۴ weeks was ۴.۲% and for gestational age of ۲۷ to ۳۲ weeks was ۳.۶%. Reference intervals for mean uterine artery PI according to gestational ages showed a significant difference between different percentages (p<۰.۰۰۱). Also, there is a significant relationship between the mean uterine arteries PI/RI and the presence or absence of pregnancy complications (IUGR, premature birth, IUFD) among the participants. Conclusion: The results of this research showed a significant relationship between PI and pregnancy complications, while this was not detected in RI and diastolic notch. These results are relatively consistent with the findings of researchers in other countries.

کلیدواژه ها:

Uterine artery Doppler ، Low-Risk ، Pregnancy ، Ultrasound