ArticleCureus2026
Sex-Specific Doppler Patterns of the Umbilical Artery, Middle Cerebral Artery, and Descending Abdominal Aorta in an African Pregnancy Cohort.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionFetal sex is increasingly recognized as a biological variable that may influence placental development, fetal circulation, and pregnancy outcomes. However, sex-specific fetal Doppler data are limited in African populations. This study assessed whether Doppler indices of the umbilical artery (UA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), and descending abdominal aorta (DA) differ by fetal sex in a Ghanaian pregnancy cohort.
methodsA prospective cross-sectional study was conducted among 239 low-risk singleton pregnancies attending antenatal care at the AngloGold Ashanti Health Foundation in Ghana. Fetal biometry, estimated fetal weight, fetal heart rate, and Doppler velocimetry of the UA, MCA, and DA were obtained using standardized ultrasound protocols. Fetal sex was determined antenatally and confirmed after delivery. Doppler indices were compared between male and female fetuses overall and after stratification by gestational age (≤25, 26-35, and >35 weeks) using independent-samples t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.
resultsMale fetuses accounted for 53.6% (128/239) of the cohort, whereas female fetuses accounted for 46.4% (111/239). When all gestational ages were pooled, UA, MCA, and DA Doppler indices did not differ significantly by fetal sex. However, sex-specific patterns were observed at ≤25 weeks of gestation. Female fetuses had higher UA pulsatility index (p = 0.023), resistive index (p = 0.037), and systolic/diastolic ratio (p = 0.023), suggesting higher early fetoplacental impedance. In contrast, male fetuses had higher DA pulsatility index (p = 0.048) and resistive index (p = 0.015), suggesting higher early systemic vascular resistance. Between 26 and 35 weeks and after 35 weeks, most Doppler differences were not statistically significant. Male fetuses had higher fetal heart rates after 35 weeks (144 ± 8.67 vs 140 ± 8.92 bpm, p = 0.035).
conclusionsIn this Ghanaian cohort, fetal sex was not associated with significant overall differences in UA, MCA, or DA Doppler indices, but gestational age-specific differences were observed in early pregnancy. Female fetuses showed higher early UA impedance, whereas male fetuses showed higher early DA impedance and higher fetal heart rates in late gestation. These findings support consideration of fetal sex as a biological variable in Doppler-based fetal surveillance and highlight the need for population-specific reference data in African cohorts.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.