İstanbul Medical Journal (May 2024)

Diurnal Variation of Fetomaternal Doppler and Fetal Cardiac Function Parameters in the Hospitalized Pregnancies: A Cross-Sectional Study

  • Sinem Tekin,
  • Aydın Öcal

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4274/imj.galenos.2024.00515
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 25, no. 2
pp. 116 – 120

Abstract

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Introduction: To assess changes in blood flow in the uterine, fetal cerebral, and umbilical arteries (UA) by Doppler ultrasound and alterations in the variability of fetal heart rate (FHR) as well as fetal cardiac performance by fetal echocardiography between the 7.00 a.m. and 7.00 p.m. periods in pregnancies ranging from 24 to 39 weeks. Methods: Fifty pregnant participants underwent a customized fetal examination on the same day during both study periods, including Doppler measurements of the umbilical artery pulsatility index (UA-PI), fetal middle cerebral artery-pulsatility index (MCA-PI), middle cerebral artery-peak systolic velocity (MCA-PSV), cerebroplacental ratio, uterine artery-pulsatility index (UtA-PI), FHR, and fetal movements as well as various Doppler parameters of the fetal heart such as left isovolumetric contraction and relaxation times, mitral E- and A-wave velocities, the E/A ratio, K-index, filling time, and the myocardial performance index. Results: During the PM period, there was a meaningful increase in the MCA-PSV compared with the AM period. Conversely, the resistance in the MCA, particularly the PI, was found to be lower than that in the AM period. In addition, the FHR measured in the PM period increased compared with that in the AM period. The maternal UtA-PI and fetal UA-PI examined in the AM and PM periods were comparable. In addition, when all cardiac parameters examined in the study periods were compared, no significant difference was observed. Conclusion: The findings reveal that Doppler parameters observed during the study periods may change during the day and that the fetal cardiac function parameters, previously not assessed together, may not change during the day. Subsequent investigations can validate these observations using serial measurements of Doppler parameters in healthy and complicated gravidas.

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