The findings, which suggest that a single standard is not appropriate for all population sub-groups, have implications for the development of
fetal growth standards in the United States, Dr.
Caption: Photo by Real444, courtesy iStockphoto New standards for
fetal growth and newborn size can ensure that all babies, such as this one, are healthier later in life.
Customised growth centiles based on individual
fetal growth potential enhance our ability to differentiate between physiological and pathological growth derangements.
In this study, Sildenafil with
fetal growth restriction was used in an attempt to induce vasodilatation and improve uteroplacental perfusion resulting in improved Doppler indices.
This is important because their inclusion had a sample size advantage, as it allowed us to use the total population for analyses stratified by
fetal growth adequacy.
As a consequence, worldwide accepted guidelines about
fetal growth restriction monitoring are not available and the decision to deliver a preterm IUGR fetus still remains one of the great challenges in obstetrics.
"Although the effects of the different fetal monitoring practices on long-term neurodevelopment are not yet known, these management protocols would help effect a reduction in perinatal mortality and short term morbidity in pregnancies complicated by severe, early-onset
fetal growth restriction," said lead investigator Chistoph Lees, MD of Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, London.
Moreover, using FetalGrowth one may easily detect certain
fetal growth pathologies, such as the Small for Gestational Age condition," explains CM40 founder, MD, OB/GYN expert, Francisco Cabrera Morales.
Prenatal smoking has been implicated in up to 25% of low birth weight infants primarily from preterm birth and
fetal growth restriction and up to 10% of all infant mortality.
The assessment of
fetal growth is based on comparison of birthweight (BW) or estimated fetal weight (EFW) to standards which define reference ranges at a spectrum of gestational ages [1-3].
He says: "We showed that women exposed to long periods of standing had lower
fetal growth rates for fetal head circumference, resulting in a reduction in the average head circumference at birth of approximately 1cm.
This grant supports, over a period of six years, the consortium's involvement in a research programme to conclude final pre-clinical toxicology and initiate the clinical development of Ark's EG013 programme, its adenoviral vector containing a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene in the treatment of
fetal growth restriction (FGR) during pregnancy.
