OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relationship between impedance to flow in the uterine arteries at 22-24 weeks and subsequent spontaneous delivery before 33 weeks. METHODS The pulsatility index (PI) in the uterine arteries was measured by transvaginal sonography at 22-24 weeks in 33,629 women with singleton pregnancies attending for routine antenatal care. The distribution of PI in the 237 patients ...

OBJECTIVES Uterine artery Doppler flow studies during the 11th and 14th week of pregnancy are important in the prediction of preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction in pregnant women as well as in the prevention thereof. METHODS Our study on Doppler flow indices of the uterine arteries involved 168 patients examined in our clinic, with pregnancies ranging from 11 weeks + 0 days to 13...

Abstract To examine the effects of maternal nutrient restriction on net uteroplacental flux during mid-gestation, 14 singleton ewes (48.2 ± 4.0 kg body weight) were fed 100% (control; CON; n = 7) or 60% requirements (restricted; RES; from day 50–90 (mid-gestation). On 90, blood flow was measured via Doppler ultrasonography and samples collected femoral artery, uterine vein, umbilical vein. Bloo...

First-trimester screening may be a major advantage over a second-trimester approach since it opens prospects for early and more efficient interventions. The aim of the current study was to evaluate whether the measurement of maternal serum inhibin A, activin A and placental growth factor (PlGF) at three to four months gestation with the second-trimester uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) are...

OBJECTIVES To examine the performance of screening for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy at 11-13 weeks by a combination of the maternal history, uterine artery Doppler imaging and blood pressure. METHODS This was a prospective screening study for pre-eclampsia (PE) requiring delivery before 34 weeks (early PE), late PE and gestational hypertension (GH) in women attending for their routine ...

The 'classical' concept that pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and pre-eclampsia (PE) primarily originate from defective placentation in early pregnancy has been challenged recently. There is growing evidence that other factors, including maternal predisposing conditions, also play a significant role in the pathophysiology of PIH and PE. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesi...

We previously demonstrated that cortisol regulated alpha(1)-adrenoceptor-mediated contractions differentially in nonpregnant and pregnant uterine arteries. Given that chronic hypoxia during pregnancy has profound effects on maternal uterine artery reactivity, the present study investigated the effects of chronic hypoxia on cortisol-mediated regulation of uterine artery contractions. Pregnant (d...

We tested the hypothesis that the uterine artery vasoconstrictor response to graded exercise during early gestation would be similar to the nonpregnant (NP) state and would be attenuated at mid and term gestation. Responses to graded treadmill exercise were measured in six female New Zealand White rabbits in the NP state and at day 10, day 20, and day 28 (term) of gestation. Uterine artery bloo...