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Effect of early pregnancy on maternal regional cerebral blood flow
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Miyazaki Medical College, Japan.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of early pregnancy on maternal regional cerebral blood flow.
Study Design:
We studied 10 pregnant women at 7 to 19 weeks' gestation by the xenon 133 washout technique by means of single-photon emission computed tomography the day before the abortion was induced and then again at a mean of 42.8 days after the abortion.
Results:
Blood flow in the cerebral hemispheres decreased after the abortion, with a decline of 8.1% (p < 0.001). Each regional decrease was as follows: 7.6% (p < 0.01) in the frontal lobe, 9.1% (p < 0.01) in the temporal lobe, 12.9% (p < 0.001) in the parietal lobe, 9.8% (p < 0.01) in the basal ganglia, and 16.7% (p < 0.001) in the cerebellum. There was no significant difference in blood flow in the occipital lobe before versus after the abortion.
Conclusion:
Maternal regional cerebral blood flow was increased in early pregnancy compared with the nonpregnant state, except in the occipital lobe.