VENOUS CIRCULATION IN THE MATERNAL LOWER-LIMB - A DOPPLER STUDY WITH THE VALSALVA MANEUVER

In order to evaluate the normal physiology of the maternal venous circ ulation, Doppler examinations of the venous system in the right inferi or extremity and suprainguinal part of the common femoral vein were ca rried out in 38 healthy pregnant women, in 12 non-pregnant controls an d in 16 women at early puerperium. Examinations were carried out when the mother was lying in a left semirecumbent supine position. Blood fl ow velocities in the suprainguinal femoral and deep femoral veins decr eased significantly in the first trimester and were almost normalized by the third postpartum day. Continuous forward venous pow with respir atory fluctuation was maintained in the femoral veins over the whole g estational period. The response to the Valsalva maneuver was similar i n the pregnant and non-pregnant women. Our findings provide evidence t hat the venous valvular system and wall distensibility in the femoral area and the inferior extremity are in vivo not greatly changed in pre gnancy. A move important reason for decreased velocities is probably t he pregnancy-associated decrease of the arterial input to this area.