Predictive value of early human chorionic gonadotrophin serum profiles forfetal growth retardation

The possibility of using first trimester maternal serum human chorionic gon adotrophin (HCG) profiles to predict fetal growth retardation (FGR) was tes ted in 236 women with singleton pregnancies obtained after in-vitro fertili zation (IVF). Pregnancies were monitored by serial analysis (two or more) o f serum HCG at at least 48 h intervals. Serum was obtained between the 13th and the 35th day after conception (i.e. on the day of IVF). Early miscarri age occurred in 23.7% and FGR in 10.9% of pregnancies. Serum HCG profiles w ere higher than the 90th and lower than the 10th percentile in 12.3% and 19 .5% of the cases respectively. FGR was significantly more frequent in women with serum HCG profiles lower than the 10th percentile than in women with normal profiles (45.5% versus 7.2%; P < 0.001), with a relative risk of 6.5 (95% confidence interval 2.7-15.6). FGR rates were similar in women with n ormal and high profiles of serum HCG. Pre-eclampsia and premature delivery rates were similar in women with normal and abnormal profiles of serum HCG. First trimester serum HCG should be further investigated as a potential ma rker of FGR.