Non-Invasive Doppler Waveform based Assessment of Fetal Growth Restriction

Fetal Growth Restriction (FGR) remains a significant challenge in
obstetrics due to its strong association with perinatal mortality,
neonatal complications, and long-term developmental problems.
Detecting circulatory changes at an early stage is crucial to improving
pregnancy outcomes. Doppler ultrasound is a safe, non-invasive
imaging tool that enables the evaluation of maternal and fetal
hemodynamics. In this study, Doppler waveforms from the Umbilical
Artery (UA), Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA), and Uterine Artery (UtA)
were analyzed using images obtained from open-access resources
rather than direct patient recruitment. For each waveform, Peak
Systolic Velocity (PSV), End Diastolic Velocity (EDV), and Mean
Velocity (MV) were identified, and indices including Pulsatility Index
(PI), Resistive Index (RI), Systolic/Diastolic (S/D) ratio, and CerebroPlacental Ratio (CPR) were calculated. The analysis revealed that
elevated PI and RI in the UA, reduced PI in the MCA, and CPR values
below 1.0 strongly correlated with impaired fetal circulation
suggestive of FGR. The results confirm that secondary image-based
Doppler analysis can provide clinically valuable insights. This
approach offers a cost-effective method for research and educational
Dr. P. Balaji, Dr. S. Sowmya, Dr. S. Sanuja, Dr. G. Madhumita
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applications while avoiding ethical challenges related to patient data
collection.