Michelsen TM, et al. - In their previous work, researchers established a method to quantify transfer of nutrients between mother, placenta and fetus in vivo. The method involves determination of maternal and fetal blood flow using Doppler ultrasound prior to spinal anesthesia. Researchers herein conducted a cohort study of 76 healthy women with uneventful pregnancies undergoing an elective cesarean section with the aim to ascertain the influence of spinal anesthesia in mothers undergoing an elective cesarean section on blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac output. In addition, they examined if cardiac output levels were comparable before induction of spinal anesthesia and before delivery. Among 76 included women, sufficient data were available for 71 for analysis of endpoints. Findings suggested that at the time of cesarean delivery, maternal cardiac output levels were comparable to that noted prior to induction of spinal anesthesia.