Importance of Doppler study of Umbilical Artery and FoetalMiddle Cerebral Artery in PIH and IUGR

Background: PIH is associated with increased vascular resistance and decreased utero -placental perfusion resulting in an increased incidence of foetal hypoxia and impaired foetalgrowth.The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of S/D ratio, resistance index(RI), pulsatility index (PI) and cerebro-placental ratio (CPR) in the prediction of adverse perinatal outcome in PIH and IUGR. Objective: is to determine S/D ratio, RI, PI, CPR and asses their diagnostic values in the prediction of adverse perinatal outcome.Material& Methods:50 pregnant patients with PIH and IUGR, beyond 28 weeks of gestation, were prospectively studied at P k das institute of medical college,vaniyamkulamand subjected for Doppler study of the umbilical artery and foetal middle cerebral artery. The abnormality of above parameters was correlated with the major adverse perinatal outcome.Results:Patients with abnormal Doppler parameters had a poor perinatal outcome, compared to those who had normal Doppler study. The cerebro-placental ratios(CPR) had the sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 95%,76%,73%,95% respectively with Kappa value of o .68(good agreement) and p value of .000 which was statistically significant, for the prediction of major adverse perinatal outcome.Conclusions:This study shows that Doppler study of umbilical and foetal middle cerebral artery can reliably predict the neonatal morbidity and helpful in determining the optimal time of delivery in complicated pregnancies. The CPR is more accurate than the independent evaluation of S/D, RI, PI, in identifying foetus with adverse perinatal outcome.

Stillbirth and neonatal mortality in a subsequent pregnancy following stillbirth: a population-based cohort study

Background A history of stillbirth is a risk factor for recurrent fetal death in a subsequent pregnancy. Reported risks of recurrent fetal death are often not stratified by gestational age. In subsequent pregnancies increased rates of medical interventions are reported without evidence of perinatal benefit. The aim of this study was to estimate gestational-age specific risks of recurrent stillbirth and to evaluate the effect of obstetrical management on perinatal outcome after previous stillbirth. Methods A retrospective cohort study in the Netherlands was designed that included 252.827 women with two consecutive singleton pregnancies (1st and 2nd delivery) between 1999 and 2007. Data was obtained from the national Perinatal Registry and analyzed for pregnancy outcomes. Fetal deaths associated with a congenital anomaly were excluded. The primary outcome was the occurrence of stillbirth in the second pregnancy stratified by gestational age. Secondary outcome was the influence of obstetrical management on perinatal outcome in a subsequent pregnancy. Results Of 252.827 first pregnancies, 2.058 pregnancies ended in a stillbirth (8.1 per 1000). After adjusting for confounding factors, women with a prior stillbirth have a two-fold higher risk of recurrence (aOR 1.96, 95% CI 1.07–3.60) compared to women with a live birth in their first pregnancy. The highest risk of recurrence occurred in the group of women with a stillbirth in early gestation between 22 and 28 weeks of gestation (a OR 2.25, 95% CI 0.62–8.15), while after 32 weeks the risk decreased. The risk of neonatal death after 34 weeks of gestation is higher in women with a history of stillbirth (aOR 6.48, 95% CI 2.61–16.1) and the risk of neonatal death increases with expectant obstetric management (aOR 10.0, 95% CI 2.43–41.1). Conclusions A history of stillbirth remains an important risk for recurrent stillbirth especially in early gestation (22–28 weeks). Women with a previous stillbirth should be counselled for elective induction in the subsequent pregnancy at 37–38 weeks of gestation to decrease the risk of perinatal death.