PREMATURE DELIVERY OF SMALL VERSUS APPROPRIATE-FOR-GESTATIONAL-AGE NEONATES - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF MATERNAL CHARACTERISTICS

Prematurity nod growth retardation of the fetus are major factors affe cting perinatal outcome. The purpose of this study was to compare mate rnal characteristics of 63 women who delivered a preterm, small-for-ge stational-age (SGA) neonate with those of 63 women matched for parity and gestational age who delivered a preterm, appropriate-for-gestation al-age (AGA) neonate. All women delivered at the Soroka Medical Center between January 1, 1985, and December 31, 1990. Mothers of SGA neonat es were more likely than those of AGA neonates to be over the age of 3 5 years (P = .043), to have hypertensive disorders and oligohydramnios (P < .001), to have induced labor (P < .001) and to deliver by cesare an section (P < .001). In addition, they had a higher rate of morbidit y in the puerperium (P = .015) and were more likely to have longer hos pitalization (P = .002). In contrast, previous preterm deliveries were significantly move common in the AGA group than in the SGA group (P = .034). The results of this study indicate that women who deliver pret erm SGA neonates belong to a special subgroup with unique characterist ics in comparison to those who deliver preterm AGA neonates.