Relationship between abnormal umbilical blood flow and perinatal outcomes of preeclampsia patients

Objective To investigate the relationship between umbilical blood flow changes and the pregnancy outcomes among women with preeclampsia. Methods There were 92 preeclampsia patients in the department of obstetrics in our hospital from January 2006 to June 2009. Parameters of umbilical arterial blood flow including S/D ratio,pulsatility index (PI),resistance index (RI),the average birth weight,Apgar score and placental weight changes were analyzed retrospectively in 92 preeclampsia patients (including 57 mild and 35 severe cases) and 100 women with normal pregnancy as the control group. Results The umbilical arterial blood flow parameters tended to increase with the severity of preeclampsia,and the values of these parameters were significantly higher in patients with severe preeclampsia than in the control group (P0.01),although no significant differences were observed between the mild preeclampsia group and the control group (P0.05). The mean birth weight of the newborns,Apgar scores,and placental weight were significantly lower (P0.01),and the incidence of fetal growth restriction and perinatal mortality were significantly higher in the severe preeclampsia group than in the control group(P0.01). No significant differences were found in these parameters between the mild preeclampsia group and the control groups (P0.05). Conclusion Umbilical artery blood flow parameters as indicators for determining the fetal status can be used to predict pregnancy outcomes of severe preeclampsia.