Intrauterine growth retardation and preterm delivery. 1993

W J Ott
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. John's Mercy Medical Center, St. Louis, MO 63141-8277.

OBJECTIVE A retrospective study was undertaken to determine if premature infants had a higher incidence of intrauterine growth retardation than term infants did. If premature labor is significantly associated with intrauterine growth retardation, then defining intrauterine growth retardation with a population-specific postnatal birth weight for gestational age curve would underestimate the incidence in preterm infants. METHODS Data for the year 1990 were used to construct a postnatal birth weight for gestational-age curve. This curve was then used to analyze 1991 birth weight data and to determine the incidence of intrauterine growth retardation (< 10th percentile) at each week of gestation. Infants were also classified as having intrauterine growth retardation on the basis of an additional postnatal birth weight for gestational-age curve and two antenatal ultrasonic estimated fetal-weight-for-gestational-age curves. RESULTS Analysis of the 1991 delivery data indicated that both ultrasonography curves showed a significant decrease in the incidence of intrauterine growth retardation with advancing gestational age, whereas the postnatal curves did not. CONCLUSIONS The results give full support to previous reports that suggest intrauterine growth retardation is more common in preterm than in term infants and are consistent with the hypothesis that intrauterine growth retardation is significantly related to premature birth.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007231 Infant, Newborn An infant during the first 28 days after birth. Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D007234 Infant, Premature A human infant born before 37 weeks of GESTATION. Neonatal Prematurity,Premature Infants,Preterm Infants,Infant, Preterm,Infants, Premature,Infants, Preterm,Premature Infant,Prematurity, Neonatal,Preterm Infant
D005317 Fetal Growth Retardation Failure of a FETUS to attain expected GROWTH. Growth Retardation, Intrauterine,Intrauterine Growth Retardation,Fetal Growth Restriction,Intrauterine Growth Restriction
D005865 Gestational Age The age of the conceptus, beginning from the time of FERTILIZATION. In clinical obstetrics, the gestational age is often estimated from the onset of the last MENSTRUATION which is about 2 weeks before OVULATION and fertilization. It is also estimated to begin from fertilization, estrus, coitus, or artificial insemination. Embryologic Age,Fetal Maturity, Chronologic,Chronologic Fetal Maturity,Fetal Age,Maturity, Chronologic Fetal,Age, Embryologic,Age, Fetal,Age, Gestational,Ages, Embryologic,Ages, Fetal,Ages, Gestational,Embryologic Ages,Fetal Ages,Gestational Ages
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012189 Retrospective Studies Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons. Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective
D014463 Ultrasonography The visualization of deep structures of the body by recording the reflections or echoes of ultrasonic pulses directed into the tissues. Use of ultrasound for imaging or diagnostic purposes employs frequencies ranging from 1.6 to 10 megahertz. Echography,Echotomography,Echotomography, Computer,Sonography, Medical,Tomography, Ultrasonic,Ultrasonic Diagnosis,Ultrasonic Imaging,Ultrasonographic Imaging,Computer Echotomography,Diagnosis, Ultrasonic,Diagnostic Ultrasound,Ultrasonic Tomography,Ultrasound Imaging,Diagnoses, Ultrasonic,Diagnostic Ultrasounds,Imaging, Ultrasonic,Imaging, Ultrasonographic,Imaging, Ultrasound,Imagings, Ultrasonographic,Imagings, Ultrasound,Medical Sonography,Ultrasonic Diagnoses,Ultrasonographic Imagings,Ultrasound, Diagnostic,Ultrasounds, Diagnostic
D015994 Incidence The number of new cases of a given disease during a given period in a specified population. It also is used for the rate at which new events occur in a defined population. It is differentiated from PREVALENCE, which refers to all cases in the population at a given time. Attack Rate,Cumulative Incidence,Incidence Proportion,Incidence Rate,Person-time Rate,Secondary Attack Rate,Attack Rate, Secondary,Attack Rates,Cumulative Incidences,Incidence Proportions,Incidence Rates,Incidence, Cumulative,Incidences,Person time Rate,Person-time Rates,Proportion, Incidence,Rate, Attack,Rate, Incidence,Rate, Person-time,Rate, Secondary Attack,Secondary Attack Rates

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