[Late neurologic morbidity of premature infants with intrauterine diagnosis of null- or negative flow of the umbilical arteries].

Absent or reverse enddiastolic flow velocities (AREDFV) of the umbilical arteries are associated with fetal distress and adverse fetal outcome. We studied 68 fetuses with AREDFV with respect to abnormal neurological evaluation up to two years. A control group was matched for gestational age and had normal umbilical artery flow velocity waveforms. Fetuses with AREDFV showed increased abnormal neurological signs, compared with the control group (31% vs. 12%). Our results confirm the significance of AREDFV in growth retarded infants with respect to neurological development in early childhood.