The comparison of effect of spectral doppler with 2 dimensional sonography on frequency of fetal movements in the late of first trimester

Subject Areas : علوم پزشکی

Amir Hossien  Hashemi Attar ¹ (استادیار، دانشکده پزشکی، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی مشهد، مشهد، ایران)
Maryam Sadat  Shakeri ² (دانشجوی رشته پزشکی، دانشکدهپزشکی، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی مشهد، مشهد، ایران)

Received: 2017-06-06 Accepted : 2017-06-06 Published : 2012-05-21

Keywords: Nuchal Translucency (NT), Crown-rump length (CRL), Doppler ultrasound, Amniotic Fluid volume,

Abstract :

Background: Many anatomical disorders and fetal congenital abnormalities can be diagnosed using sonography, such as screening the first three months for Down syndrome (Nuchal Translucency (NT) measurement). The special fetus position is necessary for NT measurement, and the presence of the fetal movements accelerates the measuring process. The effect of the external factors on increasing the fetal movements in the last three months of pregnancy has already been investigated. However, there is not much information about the stimulating factors for the first three months of pregnancy. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of Doppler sonography on the fetal movements by the end of the first three months of pregnancy. Materials and Methods: In this study, 210 fetuses with gestational age of 11 to 14 weeks (based on Crown-rump length (CRL)) were examined. Cases such as multiple birth, pregnancy with smoking and drug usage history, mothers with more than 4 pregnancies, and abnormal level of Amniotic Fluid volume were excluded.  Three types of fetal movement (isolated arm, isolated foot and jumping) were counted by one sonologist using one sonography system. Fetuses were divided into two groups each examined for two minutes. The first group was subjected to 2D sonography waves, and the second group to one-minute 2D sonography, 10-second Doppler waves, and another 50-second 2D sonography in succession. In each group, fetal movements were counted continuously. Recorded data has been analyzed using SPSS software. Results:  The sameness of gestational age, CRL and NT in two groups were proved by statistical tests. The variation of the hand movements in the first group (mean=0/1, standard deviation = 2/67) and the second group (mean=1/4, standard deviation = 2/91) were compared, and the statistical significance has been found (statistic=3/12, p-value=0/002) which shows the increase in the hand movements due to the Doppler ultrasound.  Moreover, the variation of the foot movements in the first group (mean=0/08, standard deviation = 2/34) and the second group (mean=1/19, standard deviation = 2/71) had statistical significance (statistic=3/21, p-value=0/001). Additionally, the variation of the jumping movements in the first group (mean=0/22, standard deviation = 2/29) and the second group (mean=0/81, standard deviation = 2/75) had also the statistical significance with statistic of 2/41 and p-value of 0/016. Conclusion: It is observed that the Doppler ultrasound waves increased the fetal movements while the 2D ultrasound waves were ineffective.  

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