Foetal growth restriction in children with prothrombotic risk factors

Placental infarction is frequently observed in low birth weight children. T o evaluate whether low birth weight in healthy term neonates is associated with foetal inherited prothrombotic risk factors this retrospective study w as conducted. Outcome measures were "birth weight in the lowest quartile" a nd-birth weight in the lowest decile" in singletons with a gestational age of greater than or equal to 37 weeks. The analyses were based on 375 Caucasian children screened at the Munster c hildhood thrombophilia centre with complete data for all prothrombotic risk factors (factor V G1691A, prothrombin G20210A, elevated lipoprotein ( a), protein C-, protein S-, antithrombin-deficiency). The proportion of childre n in the lowest birth weight quartile increased from 23.7% to 30.5% to 48.0 % for children with no, only single heterozygous and multiple or homozygous defects respectively. The respective adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of thrombophilia for birth weight in the lowest quartile (lowest decile) were 1.53 (0.76-3.08) in carriers of one prothrombotic risk factor and 4.01 (1.48-10.84) in subjects carrying multiple or homozygous defects. We identified foetal thrombophilia as an additional cause of low birth wei ght.