TABLE 1.
Study characteristics
| Year; author | Country | Study design | Exclusion criteria | Timing of measurement | Ultrasound characteristics | Examined parameters | NOS score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016; Moura | Brazil | PC | Any major fetal malformation, SGA neonate, pregnancy loss before 24 wks | 11th‐13th week | 3.5‐5.0‐MHz convex probe, Voluson 730 Pro (GE Healthcare, Austria) | RIVI | 8/9 |
| 2015; Gyselaers | Belgium | C‐C | Pre‐existing hypertension, DM, thyroid disease, liver disease, any rheumatologic disease, history of organ transplant, multiple gestation | 3rd trimester | 3.5‐7‐MHz probe (Hitachi EUB 6500, Belgium) | RIVI, VPTT | 8/9 |
| 2014; Gyselaers | Belgium | Cross‐sectional | Pre‐existing hypertension, DM, thyroid disease, liver disease, history of organ transplant, multiple gestation | 3rd trimester | 3.5‐5‐MHz probe (Toshiba Aplio, Belgium) | RI, PI, APTT, RIVI, VPTT | 8/10 |
| 2014; Mesens | Belgium | Cross‐sectional | Pre‐existing DM, CKD, any rheumatologic/liver/cardiovascular disease, any clotting disorder, multiple pregnancy | 3rd trimester | 3.5‐7‐MHz probe (Hitachi EUB 6500, Belgium) | RIVI | 8/10 |
| 2013; Bahser | Germany | C‐C | Pre‐existing DM, CKD, vasculitis, any rheumatologic disease | 3rd trimester | Toshiba aplio 80 (Toshiba Medical Systems GmbH, Germany); Philips iU22 (Philips GmbH, Germany) | RI, PI | 7/9 |
| 2012; Tomsin | Belgium | C‐C | CKD, any liver disease, multiple pregnancy | 3rd trimester | 3.5‐7‐MHz probe (Hitachi EUB 6500, Belgium) | VPTT | 7/9 |
| 2010; Gyselaers | Belgium | C‐C | Pre‐existing hypertension, DM, CKD, thrombophilia, any rheumatologic disease, multiple gestation | 3rd trimester | 3.5‐7‐MHz probe (Hitachi EUB 6500, Belgium) | RIVI | 6/9 |
| 2010; Tomsin | Belgium | Cross‐sectional | CKD, any liver disease, multiple pregnancy | 3rd trimester | 3.5‐7‐MHz probe (Hitachi EUB 6500, Belgium) | VPTT | 7/10 |
| 2009; Gyselaers | Belgium | C‐C | CKD, multiple pregnancy | 3rd trimester | 3.5‐7‐MHz probe (Hitachi EUB 6500, Belgium) | RIVI | 7/9 |
| 2006; Lubomirova | Bulgaria | C‐C | Pre‐existing hypertension, CKD | 3rd trimester | 3.5‐MHz probe | RI, PI | 7/9 |
| 2004; Bateman | Australia | C‐C | CKD | 3rd trimester | NR | RI, RIVI | 6/9 |
| 1996; Kublickas | Sweden | C‐C | Pre‐existing hypertension, any drug intake | 3rd trimester | 3.0‐MHz probe (Vingmed CFM 700, Norway) | RI, PI, S/D ratio | 7/9 |
| 1992; Thaler | Israel | Cross‐sectional | NR | 3rd trimester | 3.5‐MHz probe (Elscint ESI 2000, Israel) | RI | 7/10 |
| 1991; Gudmundsson | Sweden | C‐C | CKD | 3rd trimester | 3.5‐MHz real‐time scanner and 2‐MHz pulsed Doppler unit | PI, S/D ratio | 7/9 |
Abbreviations: APTT, arterial pulse transit time; C‐C, case‐control; CKD, chronic kidney disease; DM, diabetes mellitus; NOS, Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale; NR, not reported; PC, prospective cohort; PI, pulsatility index; RI, resistive index; RIVI, renal interlobar vein impedance index; S/D, systolic/diastolic; SGA, small for gestational age; VPTT: venous pulse transit time.