Objectives The primary objective of this prospective study was to identify the predictive value of the extent of absent end diastolic flow (AEDF) (T a /T total ratio) for the adverse perinatal outcome (APO) in growth‐restricted fetuses with AEDF. Methods In this prospective study, a novel parameter T a /T total ratio, was measured in fetal growth‐restricted (FGR) Fetuses with AEDF in the umbilical artery (UA) Doppler between 26 and 34 weeks. All pregnancies were monitored throughout gestation and continued to be followed up till neonatal period for any APO. Ta represents the duration of AEDF, and T tot denotes the total duration of the cardiac cycle (T total ) in the UA Doppler, which was recorded at the last examination before delivery. Results Seventy‐eight FGR fetuses with AEDF were included in the study. Mean gestational age (GA) at delivery, T a /T total ratio, and mean birth weight were 30.40 ± 4.02 weeks, 0.30 ± 0.10, and 992.82 ± 373.82 grams, respectively. Stillbirths 19 (25%) and neonatal deaths 6 (8%) were reported. T a /T total ratio cut‐off of 0.42 predicted APO with 96% specificity, 82% positive predictive value (PPV), and 76% negative predictive value (NPV), though sensitivity was 36% (area under ROC curve, 0.70 0.57–0.82, p < .001). Conclusions In fetuses with AEDF with normal DV Doppler, the extent of absent flow for ≥42% of the total cardiac cycle length might predict the risk of APO with high specificity and PPV.
Dayalan et al. (2026) studied this question.