Maternal progesterone level in fetal growth restriction and its relationship with Doppler velocimetry indices

To verify whether progesterone concentration is changed in the maternal serum of intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) pregnancies and to assess if there is a relationship between maternal progesterone and fetal Doppler velocimetry.

Thirty-five patients with intrauterine growth retardation infants and thirty-seven pregnant women with appropriate for gestational age (AGA) fetuses were enrolled in the study. Maternal progesterone serum was determined. Doppler velocimetry of umbilical and middle cerebral arteries (MCA) were obtained in all fetuses.

Maternal progesterone level in IUGR infants (58.49±7.06 ng/ml) had no significant difference with AGA fetuses (58.13±7.87 ng/ml) (p=0.96). In the IUGR group, umbilical artery resistive index (RI), pulsatility index (PI) and systolic/diastolic (S/D) ratio were higher than the normal group (p<0.001), and MCA RI (p value=0.014) and PI (p=0.012) were significantly less than the IUGR group. Besides, RI C/U in the IUGR group was significantly less than the normal group (p<0.001). A negative significant correlation was detected between maternal progesterone level and MCA PI (r=-0.38) and RI (r=-0.38) in the AGA group.

It seems that progesterone has no effect on fetal placental circulation and serum progesterone can not discriminate IUGR infants from AGA infants. Progesterone is a poor marker for placental dysfunction.