DIFFERENTIATION OF GROWTH-RETARDED FROM NORMALLY GROWN FETUSES AND PREDICTION OF INTRAUTERINE GROWTH-RETARDATION USING DOPPLER ULTRASOUND

Objectives To assess the hypothesis that infants exhibiting catch-up g rowth as an indicator of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) have a higher incidence of predelivery abnormal Doppler results. Setting Obs tetric unit, St James's University Hospital, Leeds. Participants One h undred and ninety-six women with singleton pregnancies at high risk of IUGR, delivered between October 1992 and August 1993. Main outcome me asures Postnatal catch-up growth during the first seven months.Results Forty-six of the 196 infants demonstrated catch-up growth and were th erefore classified as growth retarded; 85% of this group had had abnor mal Doppler results prior to delivery, compared with 14% of the normal ly grown group. However, there is considerable overlap in birthweight ratio distribution between the two groups. Conclusion This study confi rms the existence of a population of IUGR infants of average birthweig ht ratio. Doppler appears to distinguish IUGR (as defined by catch-up growth) from normal growth more successfully in infants with an averag e birthweight ratio than in infants with a low birthweight ratio and i s a better predictor of IUGR than SGA.