Perinatal loss at term: role of uteroplacental and fetal Doppler assessment

ABSTRACT Objective To examine the associations of uterine artery (UtA) Doppler indices and cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) with perinatal outcome at term. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at a tertiary referral center that included all singleton pregnancies undergoing ultrasound assessment in the third trimester that subsequently delivered at term. Fetal biometry and Doppler assessment, including that of the umbilical artery (UA), fetal middle cerebral artery (MCA) and UtA, were recorded. Data were corrected for gestational age, and CPR was calculated as the ratio of MCA pulsatility index (PI) to UA‐PI. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine for independent predictors of adverse perinatal outcome. Results The study included 7013 pregnancies, 12 of which were complicated by perinatal death. When compared with pregnancies resulting in perinatal survival, pregnancies complicated by perinatal death had a significantly higher proportion of small‐for‐gestational‐age infants (25.0% vs 5%; P = 0.001) and a higher incidence of low (