Elevated lipoprotein(a) levels and homozygous human platelet antigen 1b (HPA-1b) genotype are risk factors for intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).

The risk of premature manifestation of cardiovascular disease is higher in women after a maternal placental syndrome, especially with a history of fetal IUGR. Aim of the study was to assess hereditary risk factors for arterial thrombosis as risk factors for IUGR. 183 women with fetal IUGR birth weight below the 10th percentile for gestational age and 300 control women were evaluated using a case-control design. In 121 of the 183 women, the newborns' birth weight was below the 5th percentile for gestational age. A risk association could be shown for homozygous human platelet antigen 1b genotype (OR 3.2, P = 0.038) in women with a history for a newborn's birth weight below the 5th percentile. Elevated levels of lipoprotein(a) (>0.7 g/l [95 % percentile], OR 2.9, P = 0.048) also represent a risk association in the same group of subjects. So did elevated levels of lipoprotein(a) (>0.7 g/l [95 % percentile], OR 3.4, P = 0.015) in women with a history for a newborn's birth weight below the 10th percentile. Risk factors of arterial thrombosis such as platelet receptor genotypes associated with platelet thrombogenicity and elevated levels of lipoprotein(a) might be of importance in the pathogenesis of IUGR.