ABNORMAL FETAL AORTIC VELOCITY WAVE-FORM AND INTELLECTUAL FUNCTION AT7 YEARS OF AGE

Measurements of fetal aortic blood flow velocity and fetal growth were performed in 178 pregnancies. In 87 cases, the estimated fetal weight was > 2 SD below the gestational age-related mean of the population. Three fetuses died in utero. In 148 children (84%) an assessment of ov erall intellectual ability was performed at 6.5 years of age. Verbal a nd global IQ was lower in the group with an abnormal fetal aortic bloo d flow velocity waveform (mean +/- SD 96.0 +/- 17.7 and 95.9 +/- 15.7, respectively; n = 41) compared to the group with a normal waveform (1 02.1 +/- 12.2 and 102.9 +/- 13.2, respectively; n = 105; p < 0.05). Lo gistic regression analysis revealed that abnormal fetal aortic velocit y waveform, both independently and in combination with other factors, was a significant predictor of impaired intellectual outcome. The asso ciation found between abnormal fetal aortic velocity waveform and impa ired intellectual outcome suggests that hemodynamic evaluation of the fetus has a predictive value regarding postnatal intellectual developm ent.