Maternal and placental risk factors associated with intrauterine growth restriction and the perinatal outcomes

Abstract

Objectives: Identifying the factors responsible for the intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is very important, so that early interventions could be suggested to improve the perinatal outcome. The major objectives of this study are to analyze the impact of risk factors, speciically the maternal and placental risk factors, on IUGR and the perinatal outcomes. Materials and methods: A prospective study was done on 60 women with IUGR pregnancies from January 2013 to January 2014, at Pushpagiri Medical College Hospital, Thiruvalla. Inclusion criteria were: singleton pregnancies, above the gestational age of 28 weeks, clinically diagnosed IUGR and conirmed subsequently on ultrasound. The statistical analysis was performed utilizing Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS) software and the signiicance level of p-value < 0.05 was accepted as statistically signiicant. Results: Statistical analysis shows that maternal risk factors like chronic hypertension, pre-eclampsia, low socioeconomic status of mother, overt diabetes, anemia, gestational diabetes mellitus, low prepregnancy body mass index and hypothyroidism were signiicantly associated with IUGR. In this study, placental factors like chorangiomatosis, increased syncytial knotting, villous infarction, increased perivillous ibrinoid deposition, accelerated villous maturation, retroplacental hemorrhage and acute chorioamnionitis were signiicantly associated with IUGR. Conclusion: Alertness toward antenatal risk factors for poor pregnancy outcome is important for the optimal management of IUGR pregnancies. Despite antenatal recognition of IUGR and associated risk factors, not all perinatal deaths can be prevented.