Persistence of abnormal uterine artery flow postpartum: Case-control study

Cohort study of singleton pregnancies risk factors for placental insufficiency, managed at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, Canada. Patients undergone UA Doppler assessment at 18-22 weeks' gestation and 6 weeks post-partum. 15 pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) (cases) were compared to 17 unaffected pregnancies (controls). Cases with preeclampsia and/or IUGR had higher UA PI at 18-22 weeks than controls. By 6 weeks' post-partum, the corresponding mean values were 2.60 and 2.14 (p = 0.20). This preliminary study suggests a potential different trajectory for physiologic recovery of UA flow after a pregnancy affected by placental insufficiency.

Automated summary

This cohort study conducted at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, Canada, examined risk factors for placental insufficiency in singleton pregnancies. The findings suggested that pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and/or IUGR had higher umbilical artery pulsatility index (UA PI) at 18-22 weeks' gestation compared to unaffected pregnancies. However, by 6 weeks post-partum, there was no significant difference in UA PI values between the two groups, indicating potential differences in the physiological recovery of umbilical artery flow in pregnancies affected by placental insufficiency.