OBJECTIVE: To establish the reference ranges of the middle cerebral artery pulsatility index (MCA PI) in normal fetuses between 20 and 37 weeks gestation. STUDY DESIGN: A descriptive study. SETTING: Antenatal Care Clinic, Outpatient department, Faculty of Medicine, Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University. SUBJECTS: At least sixteen women of each gestational age with an uncomplicated singleton pregnancy between 20 and 37 weeks gestation. METHOD: All recruited pregnant women were enrolled for abdominal Doppler ultrasonography to determine fetal MCA PI for each week of gestational age. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The MCA PI reference range for normal fetuses between 20 and 37 completed weeks of gestation. RESULTS: The MCA PI decreased as gestational age advanced from 1.97 (SD 0.48) at 20 weeks to 1.15 (SD 0.18) at 37 weeks. CONCLUSION: We established the reference ranges of the fetal MCA PI for reference use in our Antenatal Care Clinic.
OBJECTIVE: To establish the reference ranges of the middle cerebral artery pulsatility index (MCA PI) in normal fetuses between 20 and 37 weeks gestation. STUDY DESIGN: A descriptive study. SETTING: Antenatal Care Clinic, Outpatient department, Faculty of Medicine, Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University. SUBJECTS: At least sixteen women of each gestational age with an uncomplicated singleton pregnancy between 20 and 37 weeks gestation. METHOD: All recruited pregnant women were enrolled for abdominal Doppler ultrasonography to determine fetal MCA PI for each week of gestational age. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The MCA PI reference range for normal fetuses between 20 and 37 completed weeks of gestation. RESULTS: The MCA PI decreased as gestational age advanced from 1.97 (SD 0.48) at 20 weeks to 1.15 (SD 0.18) at 37 weeks. CONCLUSION: We established the reference ranges of the fetal MCA PI for reference use in our Antenatal Care Clinic.