Doppler sonography now has many indications in obstetrical diagnosis.
Its wide and often uncritical application was the reason for our study
group to confirm its importance, Moreover, we wanted to prove our own
procedure. We made 950 Doppler examinations in a group of 449 pregnan
t women and correlated the results to the fetal outcome. Children with
pathological Doppler findings showed a significantly lower birth weig
ht of 599 g, a significantly lower duration of pregnancy of 6 days, a
significantly higher rate of Caesarean sections and a significantly hi
gher death rate compared to children with normal Doppler findings. Con
cerning Apgar- and pH-values there was not any significant difference
between the two collectives. These results show that fetuses with path
ological Doppler values or growth retardation can have the same progno
sis as fetuses with normal Doppler findings if they are recognized and
monitored at an early stage. The morbidity by acidosis can thus be re
duced.