ABSTRACT
Newly developed direct measurement of both fetal and utero-placental blood flow by means of ultrasonic Doppler techniques seems to allow accurate, noninvasive, and clinically valuable investigations of circulatory changes in normal and pathologic pregnancies. The fetal aorta is studied by orienting the transducer longitudinally along the fetus. In normal pregnancies there is more or less constant pulsatility with the evident end-diastolic flow in fetal aorta during third trimester. The cost effectiveness of such screening program has not been fully evaluated, neither in normal nor in high-risk populations of pregnant women. There is still much speculation as to whether the fetus determines its placenta and utero-placental blood flow, or whether utero-placental flow constrains the fetus. According to our opinion, the flow velocity waveform of arcuate arteries should be an important part of the comprehensive assessment of utero-placental and fetal circulation in the high-risk pregnancies. Only then could the Doppler measurement have a major impact on diagnosis of third trimester pathology.
