How does increased uterine artery resistance affect pregnancy?

Article written by BSCK II Nguyen Thu Hoai, Obstetrics Department - Vinmec Times City International Hospital

The uterine artery is a blood vessel that has a direct role in providing nutrients and oxygen to the fetus in the womb. During pregnancy, a woman's uterus gradually changes to ensure the function of protecting, protecting and nurturing the fetus. The uterine arteries also gradually change to meet the need to provide adequate nutrients for the normal development of the fetus. As the fetus grows, the uterine artery resistance will gradually decrease to increase blood flow to the fetus. This process has the role of endothelial factors, endothelial cells of blood vessels to gradually change the structure of uterine arteries.
According to gestational age, the index of uterine artery resistance will change. The resistance index measured on ultrasound of each pregnant woman will be compared with the population mean uterine artery resistance. Pregnant women with increased uterine artery resistance have an increased risk of intrauterine growth retardation and increased risk of preeclampsia.

At Vinmec hospital, when the fetus is 11 weeks 0 days to 13 weeks and 6 days, in addition to screening for the risk of chromosomal abnormalities, early detection of fetal birth defects, abnormalities of the placenta, and amniotic fluid. During ultrasound, the sonographer will use the Doppler effect to measure the resistance of the uterine arteries. Uterine artery Doppler is increasingly being used and has become an effective means of indirect assessment of uteroplacental circulation from early pregnancy. If combined uterine artery Doppler with measurement of average blood pressure of pregnant women, history, PlGF in maternal blood will increase the accuracy of screening for preeclampsia and fetal growth retardation up to 90%.
Pregnant women at high risk of preeclampsia and fetal growth retardation should receive counseling and prophylaxis with low-dose aspirin before 16 weeks of pregnancy. In addition, pregnancy classification can help obstetricians have the necessary plan to closely monitor the pregnancy, pregnant women are carefully consulted so as not to miss adverse events that need timely intervention. , as well as decide on a reasonable time to stop pregnancy.
Currently, uterine artery Doppler ultrasound is part of Vinmec's 12-week maternity care program. In addition to the usual services, the maternity monitoring program from 12 weeks has special services that other maternity packages do not have such as: Double Test or Triple Test to screen for fetal malformations; Quantitative angiogenesis factor test for preeclampsia; thyroid screening test; Rubella test; Testing for parasites transmitted from mother to child seriously affects the baby's brain and physical development after birth.