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Exercise-related changes in umbilical and uterine artery waveforms as assessed by Doppler ultrasound scans
Mairead M Kennelly1, Michael Geary, Noel McCaffrey
1Research Department, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of strenuous symptom-limited exercise on umbilical and uterine blood flow.
Study Design:
Twenty-two primiparous women between 30 and 34 weeks of gestation were recruited. At rest, umbilical and uterine artery waveforms were assessed by measuring the pulsatility index. This was followed by a symptom-limited incremental exercise test. Fetal umbilical and maternal uterine artery circulations were assessed after exercise.
Results:
Strenuous maternal exercise was demonstrated by the significant change in physiologic parameters, which was associated with an immediate increase in fetal heart rate, a significant increase in the right uterine artery pulsatility index, and a reduction in the umbilical artery pulsatility index.
Conclusion:
The modest change in the uterine artery pulsatility index without an adverse change in the umbilical artery pulsatility index indicates that a single bout of maximum symptom-limited exercise does not have immediate adverse fetal or maternal cardiovascular effects.