The placentas of 68 infants with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) wer
e examined for evidence of impaired uteroplacental circulation and compared
with those of 65 appropriately grown infants. Infarcts and/or accelerated
villous maturation were present in the placentas in 27 (40%) of the infants
with IUGR compared with seven (11%) of the infants without IUGR (P<0.001).
The infants were followed-up at 4 and 12 months of age and growth paramete
rs recorded. Medical and developmental assessments and neuromotor developme
ntal examinations were also performed. The 23 infants in the IUGR group wit
h placentas with evidence of impaired uteroplacental circulation were compa
red with the 31 infants with IUGR with normal placentas. There was no diffe
rence between the groups in growth, cognitive development, or neuromotor ab
normality. It was concluded that IUGR is strongly associated with placental
markers of impaired uteroplacental blood flow while it would appear that t
here is no association between placental Pathology and growth or neurodevel
opment in the first year.