Study of Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound to See Uterine Spiral Arteries After Delivery and Monitor Uterine Artery Changes Around Birth

What this Trial Is About

This research focuses on pregnant individuals at term to study the blood vessels called uterine spiral arteries that develop within the uterine wall during pregnancy. These arteries undergo important changes to increase blood flow to the placenta, supporting the babys growth. Problems with this process can lead to complications like pre-eclampsia or restricted fetal growth. The study aims to use contrast-enhanced ultrasound CEUS to visualize these spiral arteries after delivery, which has not been possible before, and to monitor uterine artery blood flow changes during late pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Participants will receive contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging within four hours after giving birth to check if the spiral arteries remain visible and to assess how well CEUS works for this purpose. Additionally, Doppler ultrasound measurements of the uterine arteries will be taken at three times after 37 weeks of pregnancy before delivery, during labor, and within four hours after delivery. This approach combines CEUS and Doppler imaging to better understand blood vessel changes around the time of birth. During the study, participants will have ultrasound exams to measure blood flow characteristics like resistance index, pulsatility index, and systolicdiastolic ratio in the uterine arteries. Researchers will compare these Doppler results with CEUS findings to see how the arteries behave before, during, and after delivery. The main outcomes include whether spiral arteries can be detected postpartum with CEUS and the feasibility of this imaging method within four hours after birth. The study is planned to start in December 2025 and continue until July 2026.

PlaCEUS: Feasibility Study of Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound to Visualize Maternal Uterine Spiral Arteries Postpartum.