Significance of Antenatal Detection and the Choice of the Delivery Place of Severely Small for Gestational Age Fetuses

ABSTRACT

The outcome of 72 severely small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses (birthweight below the 2.5 percentile) was compared with the outcome of 144 next-born average for gestational age (AGA) fetuses (birthweight between the 10th and the 90th percentile). Both these groups were matched for gestational age, sex, and maternal parity. The purpose of SGA versus AGA comparison was to allow for discussion on the significance of prenatal diagnosis of severely SGA fetuses in planning an appropriate delivery setting. In this study, SGA fetuses were more often delivered abdominally because of suspected fetal distress; this was especially true of practically all the pre-term SGA fetuses. Severely SGA newborns had more acidosis and they more often needed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) placement than their AGA counterparts. From these observations, it can be concluded that antenatal detection of severely SGA fetuses seems to be important. Delivery of the severely SGA fetus, moreover, should be scheduled in the hospital setting, where NICU facilities are readily available.