Abstract

PIP: Intrauterine growth retardation is known to be associated with increased perinatal morbidity and mortality rates, but fetal growth is still hard to assess. Factors known to show correlations with it include parity, weight of other siblings, maternal height and weight, sex of the fetus, size of the placenta, multiple gestations, high altitudes, and maternal alcoholism. Asphyxia is the most common associated cause of perinatal mortality. Conservative management of pregnancy is advised if there are no exceptional circumstances. At delivery, the physician should be aware of the characteristic morbidity of small-for-gestational-age infants and take steps to monitor or prevent these problems from arising. These should include suctioning of nares and nasopharynx when the head appears, adequate heat to prevent hypothermia, monitoring of blood sugar, and hematocrit determinations to identify the occasional polycythemic infant.