Assessment of the Fetal Heart Functions and Umbilical Arterial Flow Velocity Using Pulsed Wave Doppler in Twin Pregnants

In this study, 9 twin pregnants (TP) and a control group of 25 healthy pregnants (HP) were assessed for umbilical arterial flow velocity (UAFV) and fetal heart functions (FHF) using pulsed Doppler equipment. We chose following parameters for the umbilical artery, average flow velocity (A), peak systolic flow velocity (S), Iate diastolic flow velocity (D), resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), S/D and D/A ratio. Also for FHF, we chose early and Iate mean (E-VM andA-VM) and peak (E and A) flow velocities, E/ A ratio, ratio of atrial flow volume to transmitral flow volume (AFV / TFV) in the mitral and tricuspid regions. We observed that in the TP S/D ratio. RI and PI values were higher than the HP (p<0.02, p<0.01, p<0.05 respectively) and the D/A ratio was also lower (p<0.05) than the HP. Mitral flow calculations AVM, A and AFV /TFV ratios in the TP were higher than in the HP(p<0.05, p<0.025 and p<0.025 respectively). Also E/A ratio were lower than in the HP (p<0.05). The results of this study suggest that there are significant differences in FHF and UAFV in the TP. These results were attributed to growth discrepancy of twin pregnancies.