THE EFFECT OF MATERNAL OXYGEN ADMINISTRATION ON FETAL AND MATERNAL BLOOD-FLOW VALUES USING DOPPLER ULTRASONOGRAPHY

Thirty-one pregnant women divided into three groups (AGA prepartum, SGA prepartum without distress, AGA in labor) were examined using Doppler ultrasonography before, during and after oxygen administration to mothers via a face mask. The aim of the study was to find out if there was any effect on the blood flow values in the fetal aorta, the umbilical artery, the fetal common carotid artery and the uterine arcuate arteries. The resistance index (RI) did not change in those vessels during maternal hyperoxygenation with one exception: in the group of SGA fetuses the RI in the fetal aorta increased significantly. Blood flow velocity and volume blood flow remained unchanged in the fetal aorta during oxygen administration.