Fetal Doppler in Vijayawada is the study of blood flow in the maternal and fetal vessels relevant to fetal wellbeing.

Doppler studies play an essential role in

  1. management of growth restricted fetuses,
  2. monitoring Rh incompatible pregnancies,
  3. prediction of preeclampsia and
  4. assessment of cardiac function.

Important blood vessels studied

Common blood vessels studied are

  1. Uterine arteries
  2. Umbilical artery
  3. Middle cerebral artery
  4. Ductus venosus
  5. Umbilical vein

How does a Doppler ultrasound work?

  1. The ultrasound probe sends sound waves into your body. The sound waves bounce off of moving blood cells in blood vessels and get back to the probe to be identified. The computer takes a view at the change of pitch between the sound waves sent into your body and the echo to figure out the direction of blood flow and how quick the blood is moving. You might hear a whooshing sound from the ultrasound machine.
  2. A machine records the sound waves changes and converts them into images

This information gives information about:

  1. Your circulation, like as how quick or slow blood is moving.
  2. If something is stopping blood flow.
  3. Blood going in the wrong direction or pooling in a blood vessel.
  4. The transducer recognizes changes in the sound wave.

Clinically important doppler indices obtained from the images are plotted in a graph. Fetal medicine consultant interprets this graph and suggests further plan of management of pregnancy.

  1. Role of doppler in Preeclampsia
    1. Preeclapmsia is a condition where the pregnant woman develops high blood pressure during pregnancy. If untreated it may lead to complications growth restriction to the baby and serious illness to the mother.
    2. Uterine arteries supplies. There are two uterine arteries which can be identified on either side of the uterus.
    3. Doppler study of uterine arteries is performed by the fetal medicine consultant, doppler indies are interpreted correctly to know if there is enough blood flow treaching the uterus though them.
    4. It performed during the NT scan routinely. Can be performed during TIFFA and /or growth scan if required.
  2. Role of doppler in growth restricted fetuses
    1. Estimated fetal weight (EFW) is calculated by formulae incorporated in the ultrasound machine or by special software used by fetal medicine consultants.
    2. EFW is expressed in percentile values for that particular period of gestation, whether it is appropriate for gestational age (AGA, small for gestation (SGA) or large for gestation(LGA)
    3. Fetus is said to be SGA if the abdominal circumference or EFW falls at less than 10th percentile for the period of gestation.
    4. Doppler study of various important vessels helps in differentiating SGA fetuses from growth restricted fetuses.
    5. EFW obtained in serial scans is plotted in the growth graph available in the fetal medicine software. Plotting in growth graph facilitates fetal medicine consultant to know the interval growth of the fetus. (whether fetus has gained enough weight from the time of previous scan to the subsequent scan date)
    6. Timing of subsequent follow up scan, frequency of scans and /or delivery of the baby are planned based on the gestational age ,interval growth and doppler findings.
  3. Get the best fetal medicine in Vijayawada from Dr. P. Madhavi Latha

  4. Role of doppler in Rh incompatible pregnancy
    1. A,B, AB and O are the four main blood groups in our body. They are labelled as positive or negative based on Rh typing. If Rh D antigen is present, it is called Rh positive blood group. For example , a person’s blood group is A positive if his/her blood group is A with the presence of Rh D antigen, It is A negative if Rh D antigen is absent.
    2. When Rh negative woman becomes pregnant with Rh positive husband, it is called Rh incompatibility. Their fetus might inherit positive or negative blood group.
    3. If the blood group of the fetus is negative, pregnant woman(mother) produces antibodies against the fetal red blood cells. These antibodies cross the placenta and reaches the fetal circulation.
    4. Antibodies against fetal RBCs destroy the RBCs and cause fetal anemia. This is called Rh isoimmunisation
    5. Rh isoimmunisation occurs in around 2% of Rh incompatible pregnancies.
    6. Indirect coombs test is done to see if there are antibodies in the mother's blood.
    7. Fetal anemia is diagnosed by performing fetal doppler study of middle cerebral artery (MCA)
    8. Peak systolic velocity of MCA is measured in doppler and converted to multiples of median (MoM). Fetal anemia is diagnosed if the MCA PSV is more than 1.5MoM for the period of gestation.
  5. Role of doppler in assessment of heart
    1. Blood flow across the valves namely mitral, tricuspid, pulmonary and aortic valves is studied to know if there is any obstruction
    2. Inflow of blood into the ventricles
    3. Direction of flow across the valves and the main arteries of heart (Aorta and pulmonary artery)

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