[Changes in the velocity of the utero-placental and fetal blood flow studied by the Doppler technique in physiological and pathological pregnancies].

The aim of the work was to study the changes in the blood flow velocity in three vessels of the uteroplacental and fetal circulation simultaneously (in umbilical artery, arcuate artery and fetal aorta) in the course of normal pregnancy and pathological one. The studies were being performed between the 20-th and 40-th weeks of gestation. The group with normal pregnancy comprised 260 patients. The second group was made up of 20 patients with pregnancies complicated by fetal hypotrophy, 15 with EPH gestosis, and 6 patients, in whom the Doppler examination revealed fetal risk state. The studies were carried out by implementing "Kranzbühler ADR 8130" ultrasonographic apparatus. Qualitative method was employed to estimate the Doppler's flow velocity waveform. For analyzing each sonogram obtained from the studied vessels use was made of three indices simultaneously: AB index, resistance index, (RI), and pulsatility index (PI). It has been recorded that the blood flow velocity in umbilical artery and arcuate artery in the course of physiological pregnancy was increasing with the progress of the pregnancy development, whereas in the fetal aorta it persisted at a constant level. In pregnancy complicated by fetal hypotrophy the blood flow velocity was diminished as compared with the norm. However, in the pregnancy complicated by EPH gestosis no significant differences were seen in the flow velocity in the umbilical artery, arcuate artery and the fetal aorta as compared with the norm, except cases being accompanied by the fetal hypotrophy. It has also been disclosed that a marked diminution of the blood flow velocity, in the final phase of diastole at the time of the heart cycle, in umbilical artery and the fetal aorta is an early indication of a fetal risk state.