Color Doppler evaluation of the influence of type of delivery, sex, postnatal age and time post feeding on full term healthy newborns cerebral blood flow.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate with Color Doppler the influence of type of delivery, sex, postnatal age and time post feeding on full term healthy newborns cerebral blood flow. METHOD 50 newborns were studied. The Doppler parameters, peak-systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, mean velocity, pulsatility index and resistance index, were measured in the anterior cerebral artery, middle cerebral artery, posterior cerebral artery, and basilar artery. The data were compared and analyzed by statistical tests. Informed consent was obtained from all parents, and the study was approved by institutional ethical committee and review board. RESULTS We observed not statistically significant differences on cerebral blood flow Doppler parameters in relation to type of delivery, sex, postnatal age and feeding in full term healthy newborns. CONCLUSION We believe that the knowledge of these cerebral hemodynamic profile of newborns in the first days of life can contribute in an accurate interpretation of cranial Doppler abnormal findings when pathologic flow velocities are analyzed.