SynthesisBMJ open2021
Prognostic accuracy of antenatal Doppler ultrasound for adverse perinatal outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Peripartum fetal Doppler sonography and perinatal outcome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Pooled it
- Fetal monitoring for high-risk pregnancies using a wearable ultrasound patch.Nature biotechnology · 2026Article
- Fetal monitoring using a wearable ultrasound patch for high-risk pregnancies.Research square · 2025Article
- Article
- Prevalence and Factors Associated With Abnormal Cerebroplacental Ratio Among Women With Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy at a Tertiary Referral Hospital in Southwestern Uganda.Journal of pregnancy · 2024Article
- Prognostic Accuracy of Antenatal Doppler Ultrasound Measures in Predicting Adverse Perinatal Outcomes for Pregnancies Complicated by Diabetes: A Systematic Review.AJOG global reports · 2023Review
- Middle cerebral arterial flow redistribution is an indicator for intrauterine fetal compromise in late pregnancy in low-resource settings: A prospective cohort study.BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology · 2022Article
- Fetal and Neonatal Middle Cerebral Artery Hemodynamic Changes and Significance under Ultrasound Detection in Hypertensive Disorder Complicating Pregnancy Patients with Different Severities.Computational and mathematical methods in medicine · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThis systematic review examined available literature on the prognostic accuracy of Doppler ultrasound for adverse perinatal outcomes in low/middle-income countries (LMIC).
designWe searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Scopus from inception to April 2020.
settingObservational or interventional studies from LMICs.
participantsSingleton pregnancies of any risk profile.
interventionsUmbilical artery (UA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), cerebroplacental ratio (CPR), uterine artery (UtA), fetal descending aorta (FDA), ductus venosus, umbilical vein and inferior vena cava. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Perinatal death, stillbirth, neonatal death, expedited delivery for fetal distress, meconium-stained amniotic fluid, low birth weight, fetal growth restriction, admission to neonatal intensive care unit, neonatal acidosis, Apgar scores, preterm birth, fetal anaemia, respiratory distress syndrome, length of hospital stay, birth asphyxia and composite adverse perinatal outcomes (CAPO).
resultsWe identified 2825 records, and 30 (including 4977 women) from Africa (40.0%, n=12), Asia (56.7%, n=17) and South America (3.3%, n=01) were included. Many individual studies reported associations and promising predictive values of UA Doppler for various adverse perinatal outcomes mostly in high-risk pregnancies, and moderate to high predictive values of MCA, CPR and UtA Dopplers for CAPO. A few studies suggested that the MCA and FDA may be potent predictors of fetal anaemia. No randomised clinical trial (RCT) was found. Most studies were of suboptimal quality, poorly powered and characterised by wide variations in outcome classifications, the timing for the Doppler tests and study populations.
conclusionLocal evidence to guide how antenatal Doppler ultrasound should be used in LMIC is lacking. Well-designed studies, preferably RCTs, are required. Standardisation of practice and classification of perinatal outcomes across countries, following the international standards, is imperative. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019128546.
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