PERINATAL OUTCOME OF IDIOPATHIC SMALL-FOR-GESTATIONAL-AGE PREGNANCIESAT TERM - THE EFFECT OF ANTENATAL DIAGNOSIS

Objective: To evaluate the effect of antenatal detection of the idiopa thic term small for gestational age (SGA) fetus upon perinatal outcome . Methods: A 3-year retrospective review of all term pregnancies with no associated maternal disease, with birth weights at least 2 S.D.s be low the mean for gestational age. Perinatal outcome measures were comp ared between pregnancies that were diagnosed as SGA antenatally, and t hose that were detected only after delivery. Results: Of 158 term SGA pregnancies, 47 were diagnosed antenatally, and 111 were recognized as such only after delivery. The antenatally diagnosed group had a highe r incidence of adverse neonatal outcome (P <0.01), as well as higher i ncidences of inductions of labor and emergency Cesarean sections (68% vs. 12%, P <0.001, and 23% vs. 10%, P <0.03, respectively). Logistic r egression analysis with adverse neonatal outcome as the dependent vari able has shown it to be dependent only on gestational age at delivery (P <0.004), and birth weight (P <0.001), and not on antenatal diagnosi s. Conclusions: Antenatal detection of SGA may be associated with an i ncreased incidence of obstetric interventions, with no demonstrable po sitive effect upon the short-term neonatal outcome.