• Wiley Online Library will be disrupted on 26 May from 10:00-12:00 BST (05:00-07:00 EDT) for essential maintenance

Umbilical artery flow velocity waveforms in fetuses dying with congenital anomalies

  1. FON-JOU HSIEH Associate Professor*,
  2. FONG-MING CHANG Senior Resident,
  3. TSANG-MING KO Lecturer,
  4. HSI-YAO CHEN Professor,
  5. YUAN-PING CHEN Professor

Article first published online: 19 AUG 2005

DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1988.tb12800.x

Issue

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Volume 95, Issue 5, pages 478–482, May 1988

Additional Information

How to Cite

HSIEH, F.-J., CHANG, F.-M., KO, T.-M., CHEN, H.-Y. and CHEN, Y.-P. (1988), Umbilical artery flow velocity waveforms in fetuses dying with congenital anomalies. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 95: 478–482. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1988.tb12800.x

Author Information

  1. Antenatal Diagnostic Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine and the Hospital of National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 10016, Republic of China

* F. J. Hsieh, Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei. Taiwan 10016, Republic of China

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 19 AUG 2005
  2. Article first published online: 19 AUG 2005
  3. Received 28 April 1987, Accepted 28 July 1987

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

Get PDF (533K)

Summary. Absent or reversed diastolic component in umbilical artery (UA) flow velocity waveform was observed in eight fetuses with major malformations. Because of the uncorrectable fetal conditions or the parents' reluctance to terminate the pregnancy, no interventions were undertaken and eventually all eight fetuses died in utero. The interval between the abnormal waveform recording and fetal death was between 1 and 7 days (mean 3.6 days). In two fetuses with abnormal diastolic flow, analysis of umbilical vein blood obtained by ultrasound-guided sampling revealed moderately severe acidosis and hypoxia (pH 7.228 and 7.241, Pco2 47.5 and 46.9 mmHg; Po2 14.6 and 14.7 mmHg, respectively). Our observation suggests that once the diastolic component of UA flow velocity waveforms becomes absent or reversed, the fetus is in a state of hypoxia and acidosis and fetal death is impending. This limited experience may help in formulating clinical management when using UA flow velocity waveforms in the monitoring of high-risk fetuses.

Get PDF (533K)