Absent end-diastolic flow velocity Archives - Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia

Purpose: to study the prognostic parameters for perinatal death in pregnancies with absent or reversed end-diastolic flow velocity on umbilical artery dopplervelocimetry. Methods: two hundred and four pregnancies were retrospectively reviewed. The methods used were cardiotocography, fetal biophysical profile, amniotic fluid index and dopplervelocimetry of ductus venosus, fetal aorta, middle cerebral artery, umbilical arteries and uterine artery. The logistic regression model was applied to one hundred and seventy cases in order to determine the most accurate variable for predicting perinatal death. Results: the mortality rates were: 28 cases of intrauterine fetal death (13.7%) and 45 neonatal deaths (22.1%). A statistically significant correlation was found between death and the studied variables. The perinatal death rate in the group with birth weight below 1,000 g was 74.7%, and in the group with gestational age at delivery below 31 weeks it was 66.3%. By logistic regression, birth weight was the most accurate variable for predicting perinatal death, and a probability curve for death according to this variable was obtained. Conclusions: absent or reversed end-diastolic flow velocity in the umbilical arteries is a severe fetal condition, where the risk of perinatal death is mainly related to birth weight and a gestational age at delivery below 31 weeks.