Doppler Assessment of Human Neonatal Gut Blood Flow Velocities

Abstract

Duplex pulsed Doppler ultrasound was used to study changes in gut blood flow velocities during the first week of life in a group of 14 term babies. There was a significant increase in fasting peak systolic velocity in the superior mesenteric artery between days 1 and 2 with a further upward trend until day 5; no such changes were seen in the coeliac axis. Fasting velocities were 20% lower in breast-fed babies than bottle-fed babies. Following feeds, there was a significant increase in velocity in the superior mesenteric artery that was 35% greater in the bottle-fed than breast-fed babies. Changes in the coeliac axis were qualitatively similar but substantially smaller. The peak velocity in both vessels occurred 50 min after a feed. We conclude that Doppler ultrasound can be readily used to measure gut blood flow velocities in the human newborn. It provides a noninvasive technique for investigating adaptive postnatal changes in the splanchnic circulation, and, in particular, the response to feeds.