Perinatal outcome of idiopathic small for gestational age pregnancies at term: the effect of antenatal diagnosis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of antenatal detection of the idiopathic term small for gestational age (SGA) fetus upon perinatal outcome.


METHODS
A 3-year retrospective review of all term pregnancies with no associated maternal disease, with birth weights at least 2 S.D.s below the mean for gestational age. Perinatal outcome measures were compared between pregnancies that were diagnosed as SGA antenatally, and those that were detected only after delivery.


RESULTS
Of 158 term SGA pregnancies, 47 were diagnosed antenatally, and III were recognized as such only after delivery. The antenatally diagnosed group had a higher incidence of adverse neonatal outcome (P < 0.01), as well as higher incidences of inductions of labor and emergency Cesarean sections (68% vs. 12%, P < 0.001, and 23% vs. 10%, P < 0.03, respectively). Logistic regression analysis with adverse neonatal outcome as the dependent variable has shown it to be dependent only on gestational age at delivery (P < 0.004), and birth weight (P < 0.001), and not on antenatal diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Antenatal detection of SGA may be associated with an increased incidence of obstetric interventions, with no demonstrable positive effect upon the short-term neonatal outcome.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Poriya Hospital, Tiberias, Israel.
G
G
Ohel
M
M
Ruach
D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D016015:Logistic Models; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies