Qualitative and Quantitative Doppler Analysis of Umbilical Artery Flow Velocity For Prediction of Neonatal Thrombocytopenia

Objective: To compare quantitative and qualitative doppler analysis of umbilical artery for prediction of neonatal thrombocytopenia in fetuses with intrauterine growth restriction. Design: Retrospective analysis Setting: Hospital Patients: Between 2002-2004, all pregnant women with normal fetal anatomy, estimated fetal weight below 3rd percentile, umbilical artery pulsatility index > 2 SD, live fetus and neonatal blood results available Interventions. None Main outcome measures: Neonatal thrombocytopenia Results: Umbilical artery absent or reversed end diastolic flow pattern has a sensitivity of % 90 and a false positive ratio of % 27.3 for prediction of neonatal thrombocytopenia (area under curve .817 % 95 [CI. 736-.882], p<.001). With a cutoff umbilical artery PI greater than 1.53 as a predictor of neonatal thrombocytopenia, sensitivity and false positive ratio were % 100 and % 36.4 respectively (.898 [% 95 CI.83-.95] p<.001). Area under curve in ROC analysis were similar in both test (p=.198). Conclusions: Quantitative analysis of umbilical artery flow pattern does not improve prediction of neonatal thrombsaocytopenia compared to qualitative analysis of umbilical artery flow pattern.