The usefulness of Doppler ultrasonography and the perinatal outcome of fetal anemia treated with intraumbilical venous transfusion

Abstract

P<0.005; and y=1.374-0.391x, r 2 =0.499, CI 0.584-0.197, P<0.005. The survival was better in patients with severe anemia than those with mild to moderate anemia (P<0.05), and survival was better in patients with anemia of a known cause than those with anemia of an unknown cause (P<0.001). Conclusion: In fetuses with anemia, the severity of the anemia before IUT and the change of hemoglobin concentration after IUT, can be estimated noninvasively using Doppler ultrasonography, on the basis of an increase in the peak velocity of systolic blood flow in the middle cerebral artery. Both severity and etiology were meaningful factors for the survival of neonates with fetal anemia who were treated by intraumbilical venous transfusion. Although fetuses have severe anemia, they expected improved survival through IUT. These data are valuable information for use when counseling the parents of an affected fetus.