Relationship between cardiovascular function and fetal growth restriction in women with pre-eclampsia

Objective: To investigate the relationship between cardiovascular function in women with pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction (FGR) using impedance cardiography. Method: This retrospective study was performed with 639 participants allocated to one of 4 groups, a pre-eclampsia (PE) with FGR group, a PE without FGR group, a pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIN) without FGR group, and normal pregnancy (NP) group. Hemodynamic monitoring was performed noninvasively using impedance cardiography. Results: Mean arterial pressure and peripheral resistance were significantly higher, and cardiac output and maternal systolic function were significantly lower, in the 2 PE groups than in the PIH and NP groups, and these differences were the greatest between the NP and the PE with FGR groups. Conclusion: Impedance cardiography allowed to observe a gradual increase in peripheral resistance and cardiac output from the NP group to the PIH, the PE without FGR, and the PE with FGR groups. The most reduced systolic function and cardiac output and the most increased peripheral resistance was observed in the PE with FGR group. (C) 2010 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.