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Resons for Slow Fetal Growth

Slow fetal growth may also be referred to as "interuterine growth restriction." In severe cases the only way to improve fetal growth is to deliver the baby early. Less severe cases will be monitored regularly. Slow fetal growth is often caused by health conditions that cannot be controlled by the mother; but in some cases, the mother can improve fetal growth (for example, by avoiding tobacco smoke and air pollution).

  1. Placenta Abnormalities

    • The placenta is the organ responsible for supplying the fetus with oxygen and other necessary nutrients. If the placenta is underdeveloped or malformed, this may prevent the fetus from getting adequate amounts of nutrients and oxygen. Sometimes too the placenta may be located in the wrong place, which is a condition referred to as placenta previa, or it may be partially detached from the uterus, which is a condition known as placenta abruption. Either of these conditions may cause slow fetal growth.

    Hypertension or Preeclampsia

    • Women who have chronic hypertension or preeclampsia during their pregnancies often have low-birth-weight babies. When the mother's blood pressure is too high, the blood vessels constrict. This reduces blood flow to both the mother's organs and to the fetus. The fetus will have slow growth because it is not getting enough blood.

    Other Maternal Health Causes

    • Women who have chronic health conditions may have low-birth-weight babies. Such conditions include diabetes, sickle cell anemia, clotting disorders, diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, lung disease and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.
      In addition, maternal smoking slows fetal growth by reducing the amount of oxygen that gets to the fetus.

    Fetal Chromosonal Abnormalities

    • Babies who have chromosomal abnormalities often grow slower than is normal. Such chromosomal abnormalities include anencephaly, kidney defects, Down syndrome or other serious birth defects.

    Air Pollution

    • Researchers at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey have found that exposure to high levels of air pollution can increase the risk of having a low-birth-weight baby. The researchers believe that air pollution may limit the amount of oxygen that gets to the growing fetus or it may alter normal cell activity.The study found that living close to a major highway seemed to pose the greatest risk.

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