Umbilical artery flow velocity waveforms during acute hypoxemia and the relationship with hemodynamic changes in the fetal lamb.

The contributions of the variables of the fetal circulation to changes in the pulsatility index of the umbilical artery flow velocity waveform have not been assessed. Acute fetal hypoxemia was induced by 60 to 90 seconds of total occlusion of the maternal common internal iliac artery in six sheep. Mean fetal PO2 levels decreased from 26.0 to 18.3 mm Hg (p less than 0.01) after occlusion of uterine blood flow. Fetal heart rate decreased from 188 to 121 beats per minute at the end of occlusion (p less than 0.05). Placental vascular resistance did not change during the heart rate deceleration. The pulsatility index increased from 0.86 during the control period to 1.27 at the end of occlusion (p less than 0.05). After fetal parasympathetic blockade with atropine, fetal heart rate and placental vascular resistance did not change during occlusion. The pulsatility index did not change during occlusion after parasympathetic blockade. It is concluded that the changes in the umbilical artery pulsatility index during late decelerations in the fetal heart rate pattern appear to be primarily associated with changes in fetal heart rate and bear no relationship with placental vascular resistance.