Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 14, 2026
Human Fetal Blood Flow Quantification with Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Motion Compensation
Published on: January 7, 2021
Umbilical vein vasomotion detected in vivo by serial three-dimensional pixelwise spatially angle-corrected volume
T Scholbach1, C Heien2, T M Eggebø2,3
1Leipzig Ultrasound Institute, Leipzig, Germany.
Objective:
To explore changes in volume flow in the umbilical vein in healthy second-trimester fetuses.
Methods:
This was a prospective observational pilot study performed at Stavanger University Hospital, Norway, between May and October 2013. Serial three-dimensional ultrasound recordings from the umbilical vein were acquired every 30 s in a 5-min period in 43 fetuses at 17-20 weeks' gestation. The recordings were analyzed with pixelwise spatially angle-corrected volume flow measurements.
Results:
We observed variation in the umbilical vein volume flow in all fetuses, ranging from a mean minimum of 1.01 mL/s to a mean maximum of 2.60 mL/s. The minimum of all measurements was 57% compared with the mean value and the maximum was 148% of the mean value. The individual flow volume measurements ranged between 0.11 and 4.14 mL/s (mean, 1.76 mL/s). Within this range, an undulating course of all perfusion parameters was observed, with a full period of 4-5 min duration.
Conclusion:
Healthy second-trimester fetuses show cyclical variation in blood flow in the umbilical vein. Copyright © 2015 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
