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Updated: Jul 12, 2026
High Frequency Ultrasound for the Analysis of Fetal and Placental Development In Vivo
Published on: November 8, 2018
A longitudinal study using ultrasound to assess flow-mediated dilatation in normal human pregnancy
Ann E Quinton1, Colleen-M Cook, Michael J Peek
1Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Sydney, Nepean Hospital, Penrith, NSW, Australia. aquinton@med.usyd.edu.au
Objective:
To develop normal ranges of endothelial function in normal human pregnancy to use as a screening test for preeclampsia.
Methods:
In this longitudinal study, women were studied five times during pregnancy and once postpartum using flow-mediated dilatation (FMD). FMD is a noninvasive ultrasound technique used to assess endothelial function. Healthy nonpregnant women were controls.
Results:
FMD increased non-significantly in pregnancy until 32 weeks, when it decreased significantly at 36+ weeks (n = 47).
Conclusion:
The fall in FMD in the third trimester has not been previously reported. This indicates the importance of gestational age when assessing FMD as a screening test for preeclampsia.
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