Clinical implications of umbilical artery Doppler changes after betamethasone administration

Abstract Background: Betamethasone (BMZ) is commonly administered to patients with fetal growth restriction (FGR) and abnormal umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry (UAD) due to the increased risk of preterm delivery; however, the clinical impact of UAD changes after BMZ exposure is unknown. Objective: To test the hypothesis that lack of UAD improvement after BMZ administration is associated with shorter latency and greater neonatal morbidity in patients with FGR. Study design: This was a retrospective cohort study of pregnancies complicated by FGR and abnormal UAD between 240-336 weeks gestation. Abnormal UAD included the following categories of increasing severity: elevated (pulsatility index > 95%), absent end diastolic flow (EDF), or reversed EDF improvement was defined as any improvement in category of UAD within 2 weeks of BMZ. Sustained improvement was defined as improvement until the last ultrasound before delivery, whereas transient improvement was considered as unsustained. The primary outcome wa...