Publication:

Umbilical artery velocity and adverse neonatal outcome in sudanese pregnant women with severe preeclampsia

Background Doppler umbilical artery waveform is an important imaging predictor of adverse neonatal outcome in patients with severe preeclampsia. The present study aims to evaluate the adverse neonatal outcome associated with abnormal umbilical artery velocity in patients with severe preeclampsia.

Methods In a prospective descriptive analytical hospital-based study, umbilical artery velocity and adverse fetal outcome of (104) patients with severe preeclampsia were evaluated by Doppler ultrasound. The study was conducted through the period (February to August 2015) in obstetric Sudanese population.

Results The umbilical artery end diastolic flow was reduced in 20.2 %, absent in 5.8%, reversed in 1.9% and normal in 72.1% of the study population. The end diastolic velocity was significantly abnormal and associated with low birth weight (P-value=0.001), early neonatal death (P-value= 0.00), fetal respiratory distress (P-value = 0.00) and Apgar score (P-value = 0.00). The abnormal end diastolic flow was not statistically associated with emergency caesarean delivery (P value=0.275).

Conclusions The end diastolic flow velocity of the umbilical artery was significantly associated with adverse neonatal and perinatal outcomes in Sudanese pregnant cases with severe preeclampsia.