Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics

The two components that are necessary to define an IUGR fetus are: a) birth weight <10th percentile; b) Inadequate interval growth in sequential screening. Small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses are a heterogeneous group comprising fetuses that have failed to achieve their growth potential (intrauterine growth restriction, IUGR) and fetuses that are constitutionally small (chard T et al., 1992). IUGR fetuses are either low growth potential, as a result of genetic disease or environmental damage, or due to reduced placental perfusion and {u2018}utero-placental insufficiency{u2019} and they are at increased risk of perinatal morbidity and mortality and will require close fetomaternal monitoring and probably earlier intervention (Nicolaides K et al., 1989 and Figueras F and gardosi J., 2014). Methods employed to detect SGA fetuses include abdominal palpation, measurement of symphyseal fundal height plotted on customized charts, ultrasound biometry, ultrasound estimated fetal weight and ultrasound Doppler flow velocimetry. All these methods, except doppler flow velocimetry, attempt to measure the fetal size and not fetal health. All these measurements require an accurate estimation of gestation as a prerequisite

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