The effect of immediate delivery on the fetus with reverse end-diastolic flow velocity in umbilical artery velocimetry]

Reverse end-diastolic flow velocity suggests a catastrophic fetal condition. Some authors have suggested that perinatal management of these pregnancies should be more aggressive. Despite increased opportunities to use Doppler ultrasonography, guidelines for clinical management of such pregnancies have not been established. We have applied immediate delivery to 6 patients out of 7 patients who showed reverse end-diastolic flow velocity. When the study population was compared with the population of the other authors, there were no differences in gestational age at diagnosis, birth weight, or incidence of maternal hypertension. However, the study patients were delivered at significantly higher Apgar scores and had a lower perinatal mortality rate. These results suggest that immediate delivery of the fetus with reverse end-diastolic flow may be correlated with a favorable perinatal outcome.