CAN MATERNAL ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODIES PREDICT THE BIRTH OF A SMALL-FOR-GESTATIONAL-AGE CHILD

Background. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship betw een the maternal level of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPA) measured b y anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and fetal growth retardation (SGA). Methods. A nested case control design was carried out in a prospectiv e cohort study of 1552 para I and para II women. The study group consi sted of all 138 women who gave birth to a SGA-child (defined as birthw eight <10th percentile). A control group of 276 women was randomly sel ected from mothers of non-SGA children. Levels of aPA were measured in banked sera drawn from the women in the 33rd week of pregnancy and co mpared between cases and controls. Results. There were 3 (2.5%) sera w ith aPA above 97.5 percentile among the cases and 3 (1.2%) among the c ontrols. This difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion . Antiphospholipid antibody measurements obtained at 33 weeks of gesta tion cannot be used to assess the risk of birth of a small for gestati onal age infant among parous women.