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Updated: Apr 19, 2026
Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Published on: June 29, 2013
[Pathophysiological changes of umbilical vessels in intrauterine growth restriction]
Mária Jakó1, Andrea Surányi1, László Kaiser2
1Szegedi Tudományegyetem, Általános Orvostudományi Kar Szülészeti és Nőgyógyászati Klinika Szeged Semmelweis u. 1. 6725.
Introduction:
The prevalence of intrauterine growth restriction is 4-5000/100,000 births, and they give the majority of perinatal morbidity.
Aim:
The aim of the authors was to compare the pathomorphologic data and vasoreactivity of umbilical vessels and placenta of small for date newborns to that of the normal pregnancies.
Method:
Samples of the umbilical cord and placenta were divided into case and control groups. Two 10 cm long segments were cut of the umbilical cord at placental insertion. Tissue bath experiment was performed on umbilical vessels and pathomorphologic data were collected according to the Royal College of Pathologists' protocol.
Results:
After the development of basal tone, oxytocin and desmopressin did not enhance the vascular contraction, but the pathomorphological and ultrasonographic data were significantly different in the two groups.
Conclusions:
The results indicate that umbilical vessels might not have oxytocin or vasopressin receptors. The pathomorphologic and flowmetric differences could be the causes of small birth weight.
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