Screened positive for PET/IUGR- high PI resistance at 20 week scan! Scared! Anyone else had this??

[thatshabbychick]

So we went for our 20 week scan on Friday (I was actually 21 weeks) and they said the the uterine artery Doppler showed high PI resistance and that means I've screened positive for PET/IUGR (Pre-Eclampsia/Fetal growth restriction).
I've got to have extra growth scans and keep an eye on my blood pressure.
I already have 2 sons and after about 26 ish weeks with him (can't quite remember- it was 8 1/2 years ago!), I had to start having growth scans as he was on the lower centiles and his growth was kind of ok, but he wasn't growing quite as much as they hoped. So they wouldn't let me go overdue and on my due date they induced me. I went into labour within a couple of days of being induced, labour was ok but he had to have the STAN monitor clipped to his head during delivery (still not sure why?!) and I think my BP must have been getting high, as they put a needle in my hand (my mind has gone blank- remember the word for it, haha! The needle that you'd have inserted if you were going to have an operation!?). He was born weighing 6lb 2oz, so really not that small, but they said that it's still on the "small side". My second baby was fine, I had a couple of extra scans with him, just to be on the safe side, but his labour was fine and he weighed 7lb 2oz.
I'm now SO scared and paranoid that this baby is going to be a slow growing baby, like my first. I also feel like I am to blame. I have a high BMI and I think this is probably a contributing factor to why the blood flow isn't great. The high resistance thing, basically means that the blood isn't flowly freely from the placenta to the baby, which could mean that he isn't receiving enough oxygen and nutrients and will grow slowly and/or fail to grow at all. Or I will end up with high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia, which is something I've always been terrified of! I'm now eating as healthily as possible, drinking extra water, going to do pregnancy yoga every day, eat less salt etc, all in a bid to keep my BP low and hopefully to improve the blood flow?! I suffer with anxiety and ever since the scan I've felt so anxious and am worried that something is going to go wrong with either me or the baby. I've got a consultant appointment on the 8th Jan (because of BMI),so hopefully I'll get some more info/reassurance then. Has anyone else had this noted at their scan??x

Hi OP, did they mention to you or does it say anywhere that there were “notches” in the Dopplers? I am surprised that they said high resistance = PET/ IUGR. From my research I understand it put you at a slightly higher risk of this but it’s not as black and white as sounds like it has been suggested to you. I also have high resistance, no notching and I too really freaked out when I was told. I actually paid for a private scan at the Fetal Medicine Centre (live in London and I know I am fortunate to have the funds to do so) where they have expertise in this and much better equipment. My scan there actually showed that the resistance was in the normal range, unlike on the NHS. Are you taking daily aspirin?

I second being prescribed a baby aspirin during pregnancy

Hello, just wanted to say I’m in a similar situation. A slight possible problem was picked up on the 20week scan, which has lead to me having scans every 1-2 weeks since (am now 27 weeks). The original problem is no longer a bug concern but st 25 weeks the doctor said the placenta resistance was at the 98th centile which is really high, and could lead to poor growth, which could lead to early delivery. Being told this at 25 weeks was terrifying!! Had another scan at 26 weeks, and it was a bit better, but still fairly high, so going back at 28 weeks again to check.

From what I understand, this CAN be a symptom of pre eclampsia but not necessarily. It can also cause the baby to be small due to being deprived of nutrients, and they may get to a point where they decide she’s better out than in and deliver early. Obviously the later they do this the better.

I asked about baby aspirin after reading about it online and my dr said after a certain point (24 weeks?) it had no benefit, but I could take it if I wanted.

I asked about lifestyle choices which could influence this and she said the only major thing really is stress so try to relax (HA!!) exercise, diet etc wouldn’t be influencing it. I think smoking might but I don’t smoke or hang around any smokers anyway.

Hopefully you’ll just have to go for some extra scans and all will be fine. Btw I believe the reading can vary quite a lot even hourly, so one high reading may just be a freak thing - apparently the baby can be holding the cord which can cause this temporarily!

@charliefarli Hi, thanks for your reply. That's interesting about the scan results being different at the centre, rather than the NHS? I think we could probably arrange a private scan if I keep worrying too. I do sometimes doubt the accuracy of the NHS equipment, as much as I'd like to trust that their equipment is of a high standard, I suppose they have a limited budget, whereas private practices don't and therefore they can buy the top range equipment? My scan results had a paragraph at the bottom that said the part about screening positive for PET/IUGR. It did say "no notches" though and from what I've read online, I THINK that's a positive thing? I think that having notches is seen as more severe? x

Sorry forgot to mention that I haven't been prescribed aspirin. This may sound like a bit of a silly assumption, but I'm wondering if having high cholesterol can make any difference to the quality of my blood and therefore, the flow of the blood through the arteries to the baby? At a blood test I had before I fell pregnant, my cholesterol levels were a little on the high side and I've since gained even more weight, so it wouldn't surprise me if my cholesterol is quite high now? (I am obviously eating healthily to try and improve this now, but it's going to take time to make a difference) x

Yes apparently having notches makes it more severe. I did find the Fetal Medicine Centre helpful. The scan is performed by a doctor as well so they were able to explain far better than the NHS sonographer. I still feel worried about it due to my NHS scan but I think the thing to focus on is that high Dopplers do not automatically mean IUGR, the Dopplers can and do change and that the extra scans on the NHS will monitor you. I also understand that problems if there are any are more likely in the third trimester so your baby will continue to grow and put on weight given you are 21 weeks.

@modgepodge Thank you so much for your reply. I'm sorry to hear that you are in a scary situation too. I had wondered if it is something that could change over time? I have my next scan at 26 weeks (just under 5 weeks time) and I see a consultant on the 8th Jan, so I think once I've spoken to the consultant and had the resistance re-checked I might feel better. It is very scary to think about the possibility of early delivery though isn't it? I have just got a bad feeling about it and I think that this little fella might struggle to grow I'm trying to stay positive though, as I too read that stress is a big factor. It's hard though, because I already have two children (and 2 dogs!) so life is hectic and I don't often have time to relax properly. I'm making an effort to eat healthier and I've signed up for some pregnancy yoga. I'm making sure I drink lots more water and extra fruit/veg too, just incase any of it helps (and because I should be doing that anyway) x

@charliefarli Thank you. Fingers crossed it's something that will either improve or something that won't be too serious going into the third trimester. I'm ok at the moment, but the thought of what could happen as the pregnancy progresses does worry me a bit. Im a real worrier anyway, but I'm trying my best to stay chilled!x

Hi all, I know it’s been some time but I’ve just had the same too! How did it all pan out? What’s the worse case, did they just take the baby out early? Thank you

I have this to, also diagnosed at 20wk scan. Also family history of preeclampsia (on both sides! Mum, aunt, grannies, cousins...) I was really scared and upset at first but now I'm 30wks and everything is still going fine. Blood pressure normal, and at an extra scan 2weeks ago baby was measuring very well according to the consultant. I have another scan in a week and keeping everything crossed that baby is still doing well. Most babies in my family have been early (35 to 38 weeks) and on the small side, but not dangerously so, and so far none went into intensive care and all thrived quickly. It's obviously not ideal but in the end all the mums and babies were ok! I've made peace with the fact I will probably have to be induced if PE strikes or if the growth of the baby really is restricted rather than having the "natural" birth I wanted. Hope you are ok - sounds like you are being really proactive about taking care of yourself and being informed. Wishing you a safe and happy pregnancy

@Olinguita. Thanks that’s really helpful. Yes I’m had quite a meltdown as we lost our first baby at 20w in January and they haven’t told us why.m, so was already anxious and this feels like a legitimate reason to be worried . Lots is PE in my mother’s side of the family (though not my mum) . Do you remember what your readings were (mine was 1.2 & 1.4 ) and what I don’t understand is how much more likely is it to get stillbirth, or severe intrauterine growth restriction

Hi Jesp. So sorry for your loss.

I also had high uterine dopplers picked up at 20 weeks as well. I'm afraid I don't have a clue about how much more likely a baby is to be IUGR or to be stillborn. I hope you get some answers from your midwife and/or consultant. I can't remember the exact P.I. values, but the combined value was enough to tip me into the abnormal range. I don't remember if there was any notching. I went on to have growth scans at 28, 32 and 36 weeks which showed a regularly growing, slightly larger than average baby. I eventually did go on to develop pre-eclampsia (picked up at a routine appointment at 36 weeks). But other than than the protein and the blood pressure, I was pretty much asymptomatic. I was admitted to hospital, put on medication to lower my blood pressure (which it did very well), and was induced at 37 weeks. Baby was born at 37+1 weighing 7lb 5, which is pretty much bang on the 50th centile for a full term baby. Said baby is now a perfectly healthy, happy, average sized 22 month old.

I hope everything goes well for you.

Hi all. Did any of you have an update?

@PMB12 I do! My son is 4 now, in the end our worst fears about IUGR did not come to pass, I didn't develop pre-eclampsia and my midwife was happy to let me go full-term. Labour started spontaneously (well after a sweep to be totally precise) and I have birth to an 8lb 9 baby, so no issues with restricted growth!
I'm still grateful for all the extra monitoring we had because it meant we could have acted quickly to have an induction or C-section if baby needed to come out early, and I had peace of mind.
Hope you are doing ok? Xx

Wow, this thread is a blast from the past!

The Son I was talking about in my original post is now 6, almost 7 years old. He ended up having no growth problems whatsoever, weighed 6lb 12oz after a safe, natural birth and is now a healthy, normal size boy (albeit a little bit short, like my other Sons). The pregnancy yoga classes and hypnobirthing classes really helped with my stress levels in the mid-end weeks of my pregnancy and my youngest Son is the most chilled child! I'm sure it has something to do with me managing the stress well in those last few months. So if you are anxious, I highly recommend yoga or meditation. xx

That's such a lovely update ❤️ I'm so happy to hear things went well for you and your son @thatshabbychick

My baby is now almost 7! She was slightly on the small side (6lb4) but was eventually induced at 40+4. I cant actually remember if the high resistance thing continued to be an issue as we were having the scans for a different reason anyway.

i had a second baby (now 2) and due to issues with the first had extra scans for
him too. High resistance was mentioned at one scan but not a big concern we just had monthly growth scans. They told me he was going to be big but he ended up being 7lb 4 - not huge but also not small so the high resistance didn’t cause the issue they thought it might.

This is a blast from the past indeed!

I found out I was pregnant two days after my post. At my scans the PI was on the higher side, but still within normal ranges. I'm guessing that despite the pre-eclampsia as I had had a normally grown baby the first time I did not warrant extra growth scans. Tougher pregnancy on the whole, and I did go on to develop pre-eclampsia again, but milder this time. I had a normal sized baby (8lb1) at 37+6. Wish I could say he was chilled though! My one is headstrong, stubborn, heart on his sleeve, consequences be damned (if he even considers them at all) with huge emotions.