Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026
Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Published on: June 29, 2013
The disappearing brain-sparing effect in early-onset fetal growth restriction fetuses revisited
A Özgür Yeniel1, A Mete Ergenoglu, Cem Y Sanhal
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.
Objective:
To evaluate the association between the brain-sparing situation and perinatal outcomes in fetuses with early-onset fetal growth restriction (EO-FGR) with absent or reverse end-diastolic flow in the umbilical artery (UA A/REDF).
Methods:
We evaluated fetuses with EO-FGR who had patterns of UA A/REDF without abnormal venous Doppler indices. Participants were divided into two groups according to measurements of mid-cerebral artery pulsatility index (MCA PI) just before delivery. Group 1 (n = 45) included those with a brain-sparing effect (BSE) (a MCA PI <5th percentile for the gestational age) and group 2 (n = 14) included those with a disappearing BSE, defined as an MCA PI increase towards normal values after the BSE detected at the initial evaluation. Short-term perinatal outcomes were analyzed.
Results:
Compared to group 1, group 2 had a significantly low birth weight (p = 0.018) and high rates of extended neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization (p = 0.049 respectively).
Conclusion:
On the basis of longitudinal measurements of MCA PI, increases after the reduction <5th percentile might be related to poor perinatal outcomes in fetuses with EO-FGR who had UA A/REDF without abnormal venous flow patterns.
