Growth retardation in pregnancy: experimental model in the rabbit employing electrically induced thermal placental injury.

Intrauterine growth retardation involves haemodynamic modifications in the uterus and placenta. In order to study intrauterine growth retardation we obtained an electrically induced thermal placental injury in a rabbit experimental model. The effects on weight of fetuses, placentas and single organs were recorded and statistically analysed. Fetal growth retardation was recorded in 71% of fetuses exposed to 15 mA direct current per 40 seconds, and resulted in only 7.9% of normal fetuses. The data presented in this study have shown a retardation of fetal growth particularly evident in the liver weight with a relative sparing of brain development. Kidney and heart do not present a statistically significant reduction in growth. This growth retardation model is simple and readily reproducible.