Correlation of Uterine Blood Flow in the First Trimester of Pregnancy and Birth Weight at Term in High Altitude

Villamonte-Calanche W.; Salazar-Zegarra M.A.; Miranda-Solis F.; Jerí-Palomino M. · High Altitude Medicine and Biology (2026) · DOI: 10.1177/15578682261444625

Resumen

Villamonte-Calanche, Wilfredo, Marco Antonio Salazar-Zegarra, Franklin Miranda-Solis, and María Jerí-Palomino. Correlation of uterine blood flow in the first trimester of pregnancy and birth weight at term in high altitude. High Alt Med Biol. 00:00–00, 2026. Objective: To determine the correlation between total uterine artery flow (UtAQ) at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy and birth weight (BW) at term at 3,400 m altitude. Methods: Prospective study, conducted at 3,400 m altitude in 210 women who underwent routine ultrasound evaluation. The inclusion criteria were singleton pregnancy between 11 and 14 weeks + 1 day, crown-rump length between 45 and 84 mm, born and raised at high altitude (native), and without pathology. The outcome was BW, expressed as a Z score. Variables such as UtAQ, uterine artery (UtA) diameters, age, body mass index, and mean arterial pressure, among others, were evaluated. Results: After applying the inclusion criteria, 203 pregnant women were evaluated, out of a total of 210 women. The average diameter of UtA was 0.27 cm, and the total bilateral UtA blood flow was 305.8 ml/min. A significant correlation was found between BW and UtAQ (rho = 0.15, p = 0.033), with a higher association for the left UtA (rho = 0.19, p = 0.007). Similarly, BW was positively correlated with the average diameter of the UtAs (r = 0.21, p = 0.003) and the association was stonger for the left UtA (r = 0.19, p = 0.006). Conclusion: In low-risk singleton pregnancies among native women living at high altitude, a correlation was observed between UtAQ and term BW, with the highest association found between BW and the diameter and UtAQ of the left UtA.

Instituciones: Universidad Andina del Cusco