Abstract
Purpose
To study the effect of decreased estimated fetal weight (EFW) percentiles in appropriate for gestational age fetuses.
Methods
This retrospective cohort study included women who had second and third trimester ultrasound examinations. Delivery and neonatal outcomes of pregnancies with decreased EFW of ≥ 30 percentiles in EFW between ultrasound examinations (decreased growth group) and those without such a decrease (control group) were compared. Deliveries with EFW or birthweight below the 10th percentile were excluded.
Results
Among 1610 deliveries, 57 were in the decreased growth group and 1553 in the control group. Maternal characteristics did not differ between the groups except for higher rate of nulliparity in the decreased growth group. We found similar rates of Category II/III monitoring, cesarean deliveries due to non-reassuring fetal heart rate and adverse neonatal outcomes. Neonatal birthweight was lower in the decreased growth group as compared to controls.
Conclusions
This study did not find association between the group of appropriate for gestational age fetuses with decreased growth, with adverse outcomes.
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Data availability
Data is available upon reasonable request.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Study protocol and plan was prepared by Michal Ovadia, Tal Biron-Shental. Michal Kobo and Gil Shechter Maor. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Michal Ovadia, Hadar Gluska, Gal Cohen, Hanoch Schreiber and Gil Shechter-Maor. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Michal Ovadia and Michal Kobo. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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This study was performed in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Meir Medical Center Ethics Committee.
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This was a retrospective study and written informed consent was not required.
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Ovadia, M., Gluska, H., Cohen, G. et al. Does decreased fetal growth estimation in the appropriate for gestational age range affect delivery outcomes?. Arch Gynecol Obstet (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-024-07432-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-024-07432-2