INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RESTRICTION

O b j e c t i v e : To compare fetal outcome in normal umbilical artery Doppler findings to abnormal umbilical artery Doppler findingsin pregnant women with fetal growth restriction.Main o u t c o m e m e a s u r e s : Umbilical artery Doppler studies, apgar score at 1 minute and apgarscore at 5 minutes after delivery.Study D e s i g n : Cross-sectional, comparative study. Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,Military Hospital and Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi. From Jan 2005 to Jan2007.Methods: Patients with fetal growth restriction between28 to 37 weeks of pregnancy were selected, in whom diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasonography. All patients were followed up with umbilicalartery Doppler studies. The study group consisted of 48 women (group I), where the umbilical artery waveform was compromised. The outcomein these was compared with an equal number of controls, where growth restricted fetuses had normal Doppler waveforms (group II). R e s u l t s:The mean age of patients in group I was 26.9 years and in group II was 28.6 years. Fetuses with abnormal umbilical artery Doppler findingshad higher incidence of maternal gestational hypertension and oligohydramnios. Rate of emergency cesarean section for fetal distress wasalso higher in this group. Growth restricted babies with abnormal umbilical artery Doppler waveforms had lower apgar scores. In babies withnormal Doppler studies, 91.6% had apgar score above 7 at 5 minutes after birth. In babies with raised Rl 78.1%, in babies with abscent enddiastolic flow 54.5% and in babies with Reversed end diastolic only 20% had apgar score above 7 at five minutes after birth. The differencewas statistically significant (P=0.001 (.Conclusion: Umbilical artery velocimetry can distinguish the group of growth restricted fetuses at riskof poor apgar. Growth restricted fetuses with normal Doppler studies are at a lower risk than those with abnormal Doppler findings in terms ofpoor apgar score.