Feucht, Ute DagmarMulol, HelenVannevel, ValeriePattinson, Robert Clive2022-05-172022-05-172021-08Feucht U, Mulol H, Vannevel V, Pattinson R (2021) The ability of continuous-wave Doppler ultrasound to detect fetal growth restriction. PLoS ONE 16(8): e0255960. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255960.1932-6203 (online)10.1371/ journal.pone.0255960https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/85244BACKGROUND: Fetal growth restriction (FGR), defined as a fetus failing to reach its genetic growth potential, remains poorly diagnosed antenatally. This study aimed to assess the ability of continuouswave Doppler ultrasound of the umbilical artery (CWD-UmA) to detect FGR in healthy women with low-risk pregnancies. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This prospective longitudinal descriptive cohort study enrolled infants born to low-risk mothers who were screened with CWD-UmA between 28–34 weeks’ gestation; the resistance index (RI) was classified as normal or abnormal. Infants were assessed at 6, 10, 14 weeks, and 6 months postnatally for anthropometric indicators and body composition using the deuterium dilution method to assess fat-free mass (FFM). Neonates in the abnormal RI group were compared with those in the normal RI group, and neonates classified as small-for-gestational age (SGA) were compared with appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA) neonates. Eighty-one term infants were included. Only 6 of 26 infants (23.1%) with an abnormal RI value would have been classified as SGA. The abnormal RI group had significantly reduced mean FFM and FFM-for-age Z-scores at 6, 10, 14 weeks, and 6 months compared with the normal RI group (P<0.015). The SGA group’s FFM did not show this consistent trend when compared to AGA FFM, being significantly different only at 6 months (P = 0.039). The main limitation of the study was the small sample size of the infant follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal RI obtained from CWD-UmA is able to detect FGR and is considered a useful addition to classifying the neonate only by SGA or AGA at birth.en© 2021 Feucht et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.Fetal growth restriction (FGR)Antenatal screeningWave Doppler ultrasoundUmbilical arteryContinuouswave Doppler ultrasound of the umbilical artery (CWD-UmA)Article