Patterns of Aortic Isthmus Doppler in Early Fetal Growth Restriction , and the Changes in Aortic Isthmus Doppler Parameters With Every Changes of Other Early Iugr Parameters Like EFW, Uterine Artery Doppler, Cerebroplacental Ratio and Ductus Venosus Doppler in Comparison With Normal Group .

June 27, 2026 updated by: Hanna Matta louize, Assiut University

Patterns of Aortic Isthmus Doppler in Early Fetal Growth Restriction, Cross Sectional Comparative Study

This study aims to evaluate the patterns of aortic isthmus Doppler in fetuses diagnosed with early fetal growth restriction (FGR) and to correlate these findings with the severity of FGR and other Doppler parameters.

A cross-sectional comparative observational study will be conducted on singleton pregnant women attending the fetal medicine unit at Assiut University Hospital. Participants will be divided into two groups: fetuses with FGR and normal controls.

Doppler measurements including aortic isthmus indices, uterine artery, umbilical artery, middle cerebral artery, cerebroplacental ratio, and ductus venosus will be assessed at a single time point. The study will help to clarify the clinical value of aortic isthmus Doppler in early detection and assessment of fetal compromise in FGR cases.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Detailed Description

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a major contributor to perinatal morbidity and mortality and is commonly associated with placental insufficiency. Early identification of fetal compromise remains a significant clinical challenge. Doppler assessment of fetal circulation has been widely used to monitor affected fetuses, including evaluation of the umbilical artery, middle cerebral artery, and ductus venosus.

The aortic isthmus represents a critical vascular junction reflecting the balance between cerebral and placental circulation. Changes in aortic isthmus Doppler patterns may provide early insights into fetal hemodynamic adaptation and deterioration in cases of FGR.

This cross-sectional comparative observational study will be conducted at the fetal medicine unit, Women's Health Hospital, Assiut University. The study population will include singleton pregnancies diagnosed with FGR (EFW <10th percentile) and a control group of normal fetuses.

Participants will undergo a single-time Doppler assessment including fetal biometry, uterine artery PI, umbilical artery PI, middle cerebral artery PI, cerebroplacental ratio, ductus venosus PI, and aortic isthmus Doppler indices. The aortic isthmus flow will be classified based on the isthmic flow index (IFI) into five categories, reflecting progressive hemodynamic changes.

The primary objective is to determine the correlation between aortic isthmus Doppler changes and the severity of FGR based on estimated fetal weight percentiles. Secondary objectives include correlation of aortic isthmus findings with cerebroplacental ratio and ductus venosus parameters.

This study is designed as a pilot exploratory study due to limited previous data. Results are expected to enhance understanding of fetal hemodynamics and potentially improve monitoring strategies in pregnancies complicated by FGR.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
100

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Singleton pregnant women attending the fetal medicine unit at Women's Health Hospital, Assiut University, including both fetal growth restriction cases and normal controls.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Singleton pregnancy
  • Diagnosis of fetal growth restriction (estimated fetal weight <10th percentile for gestational age)
  • Written informed consent obtained from the patient

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Major fetal structural anomalies, especially cardiovascular anomalies
  • Multiple pregnancy (e.g., twins)
  • Suspected chromosomal abnormalities or genetic syndromes
  • Severe maternal comorbidities affecting Doppler results (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, lupus)
  • Uncertain gestational age
  • Fetal demise before Doppler assessment

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
FGR Group
Singleton pregnancies diagnosed with fetal growth restriction (estimated fetal weight less than the 10th percentile for gestational age), undergoing Doppler assessment including aortic isthmus and other fetal vessels.
Control Group
Singleton pregnancies with normal fetal growth (estimated fetal weight above the 10th percentile), undergoing the same Doppler assessment as the FGR group for comparison.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Aortic Isthmus Pulsatility Index
Time Frame: Day 1
Measurement of the aortic isthmus pulsatility index (PI) and its correlation with the severity of fetal growth restriction based on estimated fetal weight percentiles.
Day 1

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cerebroplacental Ratio
Time Frame: Day 1
Measurement of cerebroplacental ratio (MCA PI / UA PI) and its correlation with aortic isthmus Doppler findings.
Day 1
Ductus Venosus Doppler
Time Frame: Day 1
Assessment of ductus venosus pulsatility index and its relationship with aortic isthmus Doppler changes in fetal growth restriction.
Day 1
Uterine and Umbilical Artery Doppler
Time Frame: Day 1
Evaluation of uterine artery and umbilical artery pulsatility indices and their association with aortic isthmus Doppler parameters.
Day 1
Isthmic Flow Index
Time Frame: 1 day
Assessment of isthmic flow index (IFI) and its association with fetal hemodynamic changes in fetal growth restriction cases.
1 day

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Assiut University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 22, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 27, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 30, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 30, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 27, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • HannaMSc-E-iugr-2026

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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