Gul ARGA, Gulten ALIOGLU, Derya BUYUKKAYHAN, Ali YIKILMAZ
İstanbul Kuzey Klinikleri Dergisi - 2026;13(1):51-57
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate whether the mode of delivery influences intestinal microperfusion in healthy term neonates and to evaluate the utility of Superb Microvascular Imaging (SMI) in assessing neonatal intestinal microcirculation. METHODS: A total of 45 healthy term neonates born between 38 and 40 weeks of gestation were prospectively enrolled. Twenty-six infants were delivered by cesarean section (C/S) and 19 by normal spontaneous vaginal delivery (NSVD). Intestinal microperfusion was assessed within the first 48 hours of life using monochrome SMI (mSMI) and color SMI (cSMI). Conventional Doppler techniques, including Color Doppler Imaging (CDI), Power Doppler Imaging (PDI), and Advanced Dynamic Flow (ADF), were also performed. Intestinal vascularity was semi-quantitatively scored and compared between groups. RESULTS: No significant difference in intestinal microperfusion was observed between neonates delivered by C/S and NSVD using either mSMI (p=0.507) or cSMI (p=0.720). Similarly, no significant differences were detected using CDI, PDI, or ADF. However, mSMI demonstrated significantly higher detection of intestinal vascularity compared to cSMI (p<0.0001) and conventional Doppler modalities, which failed to detect vascular signals in a substantial proportion of cases. CONCLUSION: Mode of delivery does not appear to significantly affect early intestinal microperfusion in healthy term neonates. Superb Microvascular Imaging, particularly mSMI, provides a sensitive and non-invasive method for visualizing neonatal intestinal microcirculation. These findings support the potential role of SMI in establishing reference perfusion patterns and in the early detection of gastrointestinal perfusion abnormalities in neonates.
