Question:

In modern obstetrics, for a sensitized Rh-negative mother, what is preferred to evaluate the fetal condition?

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Anaemic blood is thinner and flows faster: which vessel velocity captures that non-invasively?
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
  • MCA Doppler peak systolic velocity
  • Fetal blood sampling
  • Amniocentesis
  • Biophysical profile
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: In a sensitized Rh-negative mother, the key worry is fetal anaemia from haemolysis. The non-invasive mainstay to assess this is serial Doppler of the middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity (MCA-PSV).
Step 2: Anaemic fetal blood is less viscous and flows faster, so a raised MCA-PSV (more than 1.5 multiples of the median for gestational age) predicts moderate to severe fetal anaemia.
Step 3: Most centres have replaced serial amniocentesis (which measured bilirubin by spectrophotometry) with serial MCA Doppler because it is non-invasive and accurate. Cordocentesis and intrauterine transfusion are then used for treatment, not screening. Biophysical profile assesses general wellbeing, not anaemia.
So MCA Doppler PSV is the answer.
Ref: Dutta Obstetrics, 8th ed, p. 391
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