title: Intrauterine growth retardation index.
abstract: The objective of the study discussed was to develop an intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) index to detect fetuses with IUGR. The study was conducted in Australia and was based on 219 pregnant women at Wollongong Hospital in the Illawarra region in New South Wales, Australia. Overall, 21 variables, including ultrasonographic variables and risk factors for IUGR, related to IUGR were tested in the sample. The results of discriminant analysis showed that hypertension, amniotic fluid index, abdominal circumference, head circumference, head circumference-to-abdominal circumference ratio, and low maternal weight gain in pregnancy have the highest F values. That means that these parameters were the most important predictors of IUGR in fetuses. An IUGR score was developed using these parameters. The developed index in this study has a reasonably high sensitivity (89.1%) and specificity (71.8%) in detecting IUGR in fetuses, compared with the developed indices to date. The IUGR score includes both ultrasonographic and maternal risk factor variables. This combination increases the accuracy of identification of IUGR in fetuses.
authors.affiliation: University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. pniknafs@hotmail.com
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Niknafs
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sibbald