Fetal Renal Volume and Renal Artery Doppler in Normal and Intrauterine Growth Restricted Fetuses

Objective: To evaluate the difference between fetal renal artery Doppler and fetal kidney volume in normal and intrauterine growth restricted fetuses Design: A prospective cross sectional study. Setting: Obstetrics and Gynecology department, Al-Azhar University. Sample: One hundred pregnant women, 50 with normal fetal growth parameter, and 50 with restricted fetal growth. Methods: Fetal renal volume was measured using 3-dimensional ultrasound. Umbilical artery and fetal renal artery Doppler indices were examined. Main outcome measures: Correlation of Doppler parameter to fetal kidney volume, and association of fetal biometric indices to combined fetal kidney volume. Results: Combined fetal renal volume was significantly reduced in growth restricted fetuses than in normally grown fetuses as the Mean of combined renal volume in IUGR was (21.0 ± 0.1) while in normal fetuses was (31.24±2.31). All fetal biometric indices were positively associated with combined kidney volume. Concerning the umbilical artery Doppler and fetal renal artery Doppler there was significantly difference between the two groups as the intrauterine growth restricted fetuses have a high Doppler. Conclusion: Intrauterine growth restriction appears to be associated with a statistically significant decrease in the renal volume than the normally growth fetuses. The renal artery Doppler shows also significant difference between the two groups, which matches with other studies. This study supports the hypothesis that intrauterine growth restriction may be linked to renal disease and hypertension in late life and renal volume can be used as a parameter for diagnosis of IUGR.