Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Published on: June 29, 2013
Effect of chorionic villus sampling on uterine artery Doppler
Asma Khalil1, Ranjit Akolekar, Argyro Syngelaki
1Department of Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College Hospital, London, UK. asmakhalil79@googlemail.com
Introduction:
The aim of this study was to examine the potential effect of chorionic villus sampling (CVS) on placental perfusion by examining the change in uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) between the first and second trimesters of pregnancy.
Materials And Methods:
This was a prospective screening study for pregnancy complications which included measurement of uterine artery PI at 11(+0) to 13(+6) weeks and at 20(+0) to 24(+6) weeks of gestation. In women at increased risk for fetal aneuploidies, CVS was performed. Uterine artery PI in the first and second trimesters, and the change in PI between the two examinations were compared between the CVS and non-CVS groups.
Results:
The study population included 8,822 singleton pregnancies, in 308 of which CVS was performed. In the CVS group, compared to the non-CVS group, the median uterine artery PI before CVS, corrected for gestational age, was higher in both the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, but the change in PI between the two examinations was not significantly different (p = 0.789).
Conclusion:
The performance of CVS in the first trimester is unlikely to interfere with normal placentation.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Assessing Blood pressure using a doppler ultrasound
Pre-Procedural Guidelines for Doppler Ultrasound Blood Pressure Assessment:
Preparation of Equipment:
01:14Fetal Circulation
Two umbilical arteries transport blood from the fetus to the placenta. At the placenta, the blood absorbs oxygen and nutrients while simultaneously eliminating waste products. This oxygen-enriched and nutrient-rich blood then returns to the fetus through one...