title: Development of a new fetal growth curve from a large sample of Italian population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intrauterine growth curves are considered an essential instrument in prenatal medicine for an appropriate auxological classification of fetuses and they have a great importance in clinical practice. Nowadays, in Italy a national curve published in 1975, is the most used. It Is based on birth weights of 8458 newborns from physiological pregnancies. The aim of the present study was to develop a modern fetal growth curve based on accurately selection of 35 240 physiological singleton Italian pregnancies with sure gestational age confirmed by ultrasound.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective analysis of 35,240 pregnancies from "A. Gemelli" University Hospital in Rome and "S. Anna" University Hospital in Turin from January 2001 to December 2006. Non-resident pregnant women or coming from other countries, women with diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, multiple pregnancies, fetuses with major malformations and/or chromosomal disorders and stillborn fetuses were excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An increasing trend of median neonatal weight, in comparison with the previous Italian National Curve drawn up in 1975, was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combining data from two centers, a new fetal growth curve, in which the 10th and the 90th percentiles are clinically reliable, was performed, in order to have a better tool to evaluate the Italian fetal population. A trend towards an increase of birth weight was observed if compared to previous growth curve drawn up more than 30 years ago.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Catholic University of Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrazzani
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Catholic University of Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Degennaro
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Catholic University of Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: DI Stasio
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, S. Anna University Hospital, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Poppa
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Catholic University of Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy - moresisascia@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Sascia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moresi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Catholic University of Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salvi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Catholic University of Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanzone
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Catholic University of Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: DE Carolis
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies