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Updated: May 31, 2026
Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Published on: June 29, 2013
Middle Cerebral Artery Doppler and Cerebroplacental Ratio Predict Adverse Neurological Outcomes in Fetal Growth
Silvia Visentin1, Ambrogio Pietro Londero2,3, Giulia Lo Storto1
1Padova Hospital and Department of Women's and Children's, School of Medicine, Padova Hospital and University, Padova, Italy.
Objective:
To assess the efficacy of middle cerebral artery (MCA) Doppler ultrasonography in predicting neurological and respiratory outcomes in fetuses with fetal growth restriction (FGR) and to establish a correlation between MCA Doppler and head circumference (HC).
Method:
Retrospective cohort study examining singleton pregnancies affected by FGR (2018-2019). MCA and Cerebroplacental Ratio (CPR) Doppler indices (z-scores) alongside neonatal neurological and respiratory outcomes were gathered.
Results:
MCA (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.32-0.82) and CPR (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.10-1.68) were identified as significant predictors of neurological outcomes (p < 0.05). Gestational age and CPR exhibited comparable univariate accuracy; however, the multivariate model demonstrated superior performance, achieving an area under the curve of 80.30%. Correlation analysis indicated a significant relationship between neonatal HC and MCA PI z-score in univariate analysis, but this was not confirmed in multivariate analysis.
Conclusion:
MCA Doppler and CPR are effective predictors of adverse neurological outcomes in FGR, potentially aiding risk stratification in clinical practice.
