Sergio Ferrazzani1, Valentina A Degennaro1, Enrico DI Stasio2, Giuseppina Poppa3, Sascia Moresi4, Silvia Salvi1, Antonio Lanzone1, Sara DE Carolis1. 1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Catholic University of Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy. 2. Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Catholic University of Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy. 3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, S. Anna University Hospital, Turin, Italy. 4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Catholic University of Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy - moresisascia@hotmail.it.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Intrauterine growth curves are considered an essential instrument in prenatal medicine for an appropriate auxological classification of fetuses and they have a great importance in clinical practice. Nowadays, in Italy a national curve published in 1975, is the most used. It Is based on birth weights of 8458 newborns from physiological pregnancies. The aim of the present study was to develop a modern fetal growth curve based on accurately selection of 35 240 physiological singleton Italian pregnancies with sure gestational age confirmed by ultrasound. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of 35,240 pregnancies from "A. Gemelli" University Hospital in Rome and "S. Anna" University Hospital in Turin from January 2001 to December 2006. Non-resident pregnant women or coming from other countries, women with diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, multiple pregnancies, fetuses with major malformations and/or chromosomal disorders and stillborn fetuses were excluded. RESULTS: An increasing trend of median neonatal weight, in comparison with the previous Italian National Curve drawn up in 1975, was found. CONCLUSIONS: Combining data from two centers, a new fetal growth curve, in which the 10th and the 90th percentiles are clinically reliable, was performed, in order to have a better tool to evaluate the Italian fetal population. A trend towards an increase of birth weight was observed if compared to previous growth curve drawn up more than 30 years ago.
BACKGROUND: Intrauterine growth curves are considered an essential instrument in prenatal medicine for an appropriate auxological classification of fetuses and they have a great importance in clinical practice. Nowadays, in Italy a national curve published in 1975, is the most used. It Is based on birth weights of 8458 newborns from physiological pregnancies. The aim of the present study was to develop a modern fetal growth curve based on accurately selection of 35 240 physiological singleton Italian pregnancies with sure gestational age confirmed by ultrasound. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of 35,240 pregnancies from "A. Gemelli" University Hospital in Rome and "S. Anna" University Hospital in Turin from January 2001 to December 2006. Non-resident pregnant women or coming from other countries, women with diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, multiple pregnancies, fetuses with major malformations and/or chromosomal disorders and stillborn fetuses were excluded. RESULTS: An increasing trend of median neonatal weight, in comparison with the previous Italian National Curve drawn up in 1975, was found. CONCLUSIONS: Combining data from two centers, a new fetal growth curve, in which the 10th and the 90th percentiles are clinically reliable, was performed, in order to have a better tool to evaluate the Italian fetal population. A trend towards an increase of birth weight was observed if compared to previous growth curve drawn up more than 30 years ago.