HOME HELP CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS CME ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Take the CME quiz: Vol. 27 No. 6, June 2006 Rapid Responses: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Rapid Responses are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My File Cabinet Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Oelberg, D. G. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Oelberg, D. G. Related Collections Fetus and Newborn Infant Growth and Development Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

(Pediatrics in Review. 2006;27:224-229.)
© 2006 American Academy of Pediatrics

Consultation with the Specialist

Prenatal Growth: The Sum of Maternal, Placental, and Fetal Contributions

The first 300 words of the full text of this article appear below.

	Objectives

 
After completing this article, readers should be able to:

1. Differentiate the features of intrauterine growth restriction from those of small-for-gestational age and low-birthweight newborns.
   
2. Discuss patterns of abnormal fetal growth according to maternal, placental, and fetal causes.
   
3. Detect and diagnose abnormal prenatal growth.
   
4. Anticipate the short- and long-term consequences of abnormal prenatal growth.
   

	Case Presentation

 
You are examining a term newborn of Filipino descent whose weight, length, and head circumference measurements are at the 3rd percentile for gestational age. Findings on his physical examination are normal. The pregnancy was monitored closely because of prior spontaneous miscarriages. Crown-rump length was restricted from the first trimester, and fetal head circumference, femur length, and abdominal circumference (as monitored sonographically every 2 to 4 weeks) remained less than the 10th percentile for gestational age throughout pregnancy. Normal amniotic fluid volume was noted, as well as normal Doppler studies of the umbilical and middle cerebral arteries. What is the most likely cause of the infant’s fetal growth restriction? What neonatal diagnostic tests are indicated? What are the infant’s long-term prognoses for growth and development?

	Definitions

 
In the course of intrauterine development, the human embryo grows by increasing its length 5,000-fold, increasing its surface area 60 million-fold, and increasing its weight 6 billion-fold. Following birth, measurements of weight, length, and head circumference provide the best "screens" for appropriateness of prenatal growth. By definition, 95% (mean±2SD) of newborns have normal rates of prenatal growth that are based on normative data exhibiting bell-shaped distributions for the three markers. Restricted prenatal growth is defined by the 2.5% of small but normal newborns at the left ends of the distributions. Excessive prenatal growth is defined by the 2.5% of large, normal newborns at the right ends of the distributions.

Although only 2.5% of American newborns would be expected to be born underweight based . . . [Full Text of this Article]

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?