Fetal Middle Cerebral Artery Pulsatility Index in No-Risk Pregnancies: Effects of Auditory Stimulation and Pregnancy Order

Ljiljana Jeličić, Svetlana Janković, Mirjana Sovilj, Tatjana Adamović, Ivana Bogavac, Aleksandar Gavrilović, Miško Subotić, Ljiljana Jeličić, Svetlana Janković, Mirjana Sovilj, Tatjana Adamović, Ivana Bogavac, Aleksandar Gavrilović, Miško Subotić

Abstract

Pulsatility index (PI) values in a fetal middle cerebral artery (MCA) were compared in no-risk pregnancies to examine the differences related to auditory stimulation test and pregnancy order. The study included 196 women with no-risk pregnancies selected from the database of more than 1000 pregnant women divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 98 nulliparous women (C1 = 98) and Group 2 consisted of 98 parous women (C2 = 98). All pregnant women were of comparable age and fetal gestational age (GA) when MCA-PI values were recorded. Measurements of PI values in fetal MCA were obtained before and immediately after the application of fetal auditory stimulation test. The MCA-PI measuring was conducted in the period between the 36th and the 41st week of GA. The results showed that PI baseline values and PI values after defined auditory stimulation were significantly different when measured in nulliparous women compared to parous women (p = 0.001; p = 0.003, respectively), while no group differences were observed in relative PI value changes due to auditory stimulation. These findings suggest that hemodynamic changes in fetal MCA caused by defined auditory stimulation measured by PI value changes may be valuable in the assessment of fetal auditory perception functionality and its development.

Keywords: Pulsatility index; fetal auditory perception; middle cerebral artery; parous and nulliparous pregnancy.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The values of Pulsatility index baseline in C1(-) and C2 (x) compared to referent values in Tarzamni [27]. The blue line represents the 10th percentile, the red line represents 50th and the black line represents the 90th percentile.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Dependence of RePI from PIR. Black line represents linear approximation.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Dependence of mean AbsPI value up to gestational age (GA). AbsPI = absolute PI changes. Mean (AbsPI) represents the mean of all pregnant women AbsPI values in a given gestational week.

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