Predicting Risks of Preeclampsia and Small for Gestational Age Infant by Uterine Artery Doppler

Objective: To assess the value of uterine artery Doppler as a screening test for preeclampsia and/or having a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant in healthy pregnant women. Methods: Color Doppler ultrasound was used to examine both uterine arteries in 400 healthy pregnant women at 24.8 2.0 (range, 22 to 28) weeks of gestation. The mean pulsatility index of both uterine arteries was calculated and the presence of an early diastolic notch in the waveform was noted. Results: Twenty-six (6.5%) of the 400 women developed preeclampsia and/or had an SGA infant. The optimal cutoff value for the mean pulsatility index in predicting preeclampsia and/or having an SGA infant was 0.857. When using a high mean pulsatility index and/or the presence of any early diastolic notch, the detection of preeclampsia and/or having SGA infant were a sensitivity of 76.9%, a specificity of 52.9%, a positive predictive value of 10.2%, and a negative predictive value of 97.1%, respectively. Conclusion: Women with an abnormal uterine artery Doppler great a considerably higher risk for developing preeclampsia and/or having an SGA infant.