Maternal Anemia and Fetal Doppler Indices in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

Background : Complications for the mother and fetus are usually linked to maternal anemia. It may also cause a shift in fetal blood fl ow by decreasing the oxygen supply to the developing baby. Aim : The aim of this study is to assess the impact of maternal anemia on the umbilical artery and middle cerebral artery Doppler indices in the third trimester of pregnancy. Patients and methods : This was a prospective case-control study on 200 pregnant women separated into two groups at El-Hussein University Hospital: 100 pregnant women with varying degrees of anemia (Mild, Moderate, and Severe) were involved in group I (the study group), whereas 100 pregnant women without anemia (group II) served as the control group from January to June of 2021. Result : There was a high statistically signi fi cant decrease in middle cerebral artery (MCA) resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), S/D ratio and an increase in uterine artery (UA) RI, PI, S/D ratio with the increase in severity of anemia in the studied groups. There was a high statistically signi fi cant difference in the C/U ratio between the studied groups ( P value < 0.001), it was lower than normal in moderate and severe anemic groups (1.08 ± 0.14 and 0.99 ± 0.12, respectively). Conclusion : Maternal anemia had a considerable impact on the fetal UA and MCA Doppler indices, and this impact grew as the anemia ' s severity rose.