A maternal meal affects clinical Doppler parameters in the fetal middle cerebral artery.

Abstract

IntroductionMiddle cerebral artery (MCA) and umbilical artery (UA) Doppler blood flow pulsatility indices (PIs) and MCA peak systolic velocity (PSV) are essential variables for clinically evaluating fetal well-being. Here we examined how a maternal meal influenced these Doppler blood flow velocity variables.MethodsThis prospective cohort study included 89 healthy Caucasian women with normal singleton pregnancies (median age, 32 years). Measurements were performed at gestational weeks 30 and 36, representing the start and near the end of the energy-depositing period. Measured variables included the MCA-PI, UA-PI, fetal heart rate (FHR) and MCA-PSV. The cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) was calculated as the ratio of MCA-PI to UA-PI. The first examination was performed in the fasting state at 08:30 a.m. Then participants ate a standard breakfast (approximate caloric intake, 400kcal), and the examination was repeated ~105 min after the meal.ResultsWithout adjustment for FHR, fetal MCA-PI decreased after the meal at week 30 (‒0.115; p = 0.012) and week 36 (‒0.255; p ConclusionIn gestational weeks 30 and 36, we observed a postprandial influence that was apparently specific to fetal cerebral blood flow.