Anxiety and birth weight. (News & Notes).Researchers at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in London learned that women who are anxious during pregnancy have lower birthweight babies because blood flow to the uterus is impaired. In this study, 100 pregnant women completed questionnaires on anxiety levels during their third trimester. Researchers then compared the anxiety scores with results from color Doppler ultrasound Doppler ultrasound An imaging technique using ultrasound that can detect moving liquids. Mentioned in: Priapism Doppler ultrasound to measure uterine blood flow. In women who were most anxious, 27 percent had an abnormally high uterine artery uterine artery n. An artery with its origin in the internal iliac artery, with distribution to the uterus, the upper part of the vagina, the round ligament, and part of the uterine tube. resistance score. A high resistance to blood flow has previously been shown to be associated with poor obstetric ob·stet·ric or ob·stet·ri·cal adj. Of or relating to the profession of obstetrics or the care of women during and after pregnancy. obstetrical, obstetric pertaining to or emanating from obstetrics. outcomes, especially impaired fetal growth and preeclampsia preeclampsia /pre·eclamp·sia/ (pre?e-klamp´se-ah) a toxemia of late pregnancy, characterized by hypertension, proteinuria, and edema. pre·e·clamp·si·a n. . In women who were least anxious, only 4 percent had an increased resistance. --Nursing Times, Jan. 27-Feb. 4, 1999 |
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