Renal artery blood flow velocity in very low birthweight infants with intrauterine growth retardation.

Doppler ultrasound was used to measure left renal artery blood flow velocity and pulsatility index on the first, third, and seventh day of postnatal life in 18 very low birthweight small for gestational age (SGA) infants. The values were compared with those from 18 weight matched and 18 gestation matched controls. SGA infants had significantly lower blood flow velocity than their gestation matched controls throughout the first postnatal week (day 1: SGA 10 cm/s, controls 15 cm/s; day 7: SGA 17 cm/s, controls 28 cm/s). These data suggest that abnormalities of renal artery blood flow velocity persist after delivery in the SGA infant.