Deceleration of fetal growth rate as alternative predictor for childhood outcomes: A birth cohort study

Abstract

Background: Small for gestational age (SGA) is frequently used to define fetal growth restriction (FGR). However, FGR describes a slowdown in fetal growth and is not synonymous with SGA, which may introduce misclassification. We investigated the effect of both on delivery and childhood outcomes. Methods: From a prospective population-based cohort study we included 7959 live singleton births with data available on second trimester estimated fetal weight (EFW) and birth weight. We used a decrease in growth of > 40 percentiles between second trimester EFW and birthweight to define a deceleration in growth. SGA was defined as birthweight