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Fetal Growth Retardation Syndrome

Fetal growth retardation, also known as intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), occurs when a fetus weighs less than normal for the number of weeks into a pregnancy. The condition is diagnosed when a fetus is at the 10th percentile or less on growth charts designed to monitor fetal weight. That means the fetus weighs less than 90 percent of other babies at the same point in pregnancy. This condition happens when the fetus does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients or as a result of infection or disease.

  1. Biological Causes

    • Fetal growth retardation can be caused by maternal health conditions that interfere with proper fetal nutrition, such as heart disease, placenta issues and preeclamsia. Carrying multiple babies or living at a high altitude also can lead to this syndrome. Some maternal disorders can deprive the fetus of adequate amounts of oxygen, including hypertension, diabetes, autoimmune disease, thrombophilias and hemogobinopathies. Fetuses with chromosomal problems, such as tristomy 18, usually experience retarded growth, and those who have been exposed to infections, such as rubella, toxoplasmosis, syphilis and cytomegalovirus, are likely to be smaller than normal.

    Environmental Causes

    • Fetuses who are exposed to tobacco smoke, drugs and alcohol in the womb are more likely to to suffer from fetal growth retardation. For this reason, it is recommended that pregnant women avoid these substances.

    Diagnosis

    • Not all small fetuses suffer from fetal growth retardation. For example, smaller mothers are likely to have smaller, perfectly normal babies. Ultrasound is the primary diagnostic tool used to determine fetal size. If a fetus does not measure normally, a doctor can use frequent ultrasounds to track the baby's weight gain over time.

    Treatment

    • Women who are carrying a baby with fetal growth retardation syndrome will be monitored closely throughout the pregnancy. In some cases, the fetus might be delivered early to improve its chances of growing more normally outside the womb.

    Complications

    • In severe cases of fetal growth retardation, the fetus may die in the womb. Other babies are born prematurely, which can cause other complications, such as problems regulating temperature, respiratory distress syndrome, greater risk of hemorrhaging and an increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis, thrombocytopenia and renal failure. Despite all the associated risks, many babies who are diagnosed with fetal growth retardation syndrome will thrive once they are outside the womb.

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