Use of Umbilical Venous Blood on Assessing the Biochemical Variations of Acid–Base, Nutritional and Metabolic Parameters on Growth-Retarded Fetuses, in Comparison with Gestational Control Cases: A Study

Abstract

Intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) affects 5–10% of pregnancies and carries an increased risk of perinatal mortality and morbidity.1,2 It is suspected when ultrasound examination reveals a fetus who is small for gestational age. However, the general term of IUGR fails to convey the existing heterogeneity of this pathology, whose definition varies according to the length and weight growth curves used, and which etiologies are multiple.