title: Can maternal antiphospholipid antibodies predict the birth of a small-for-gestational age child?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the maternal level of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPA) measured by anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and fetal growth retardation (SGA).
  
  
  METHODS
  A nested case control design was carried out in a prospective cohort study of 1552 para I and para II women. The study group consisted of all 138 women who gave birth to a SGA-child (defined as birthweight < 10th percentile). A control group of 276 women was randomly selected from mothers of non-SGA children. Levels of aPA were measured in banked sera drawn from the women in the 33rd week of pregnancy and compared between cases and controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 3 (2.5%) sera with aPA above 97.5 percentile among the cases and 3 (1.2%) among the controls. This difference was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Antiphospholipid antibody measurements obtained at 33 weeks of gestation cannot be used to assess the risk of birth of a small for gestational age infant among parous women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine and General Practice, Medical Faculty, University of Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schei
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ostensen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Bakketeig
mesh_terms: D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000276:immunology*; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000276:immunology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries
chemical_list: D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid