Use of anthropometric indicators and maternal risk factors to evaluate intrauterine growth retardation in infants weighing more than 2500 grams at birth.

The overall objectives of this study were to characterize the patterns of IUGR of infants weighing more than 2500 g at birth and to identify pregnancy-related risk factors associated with IUGR. A total of 195 term newborns were studied from a Pediatric Hospital in the city of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. The experimental group consisted of 140 newborns whose birth weights ranged between 2500 and 3200 g. A total of 55 non-IUGR infants were included in the control group whose birth weights were between 3200 and 4000 g. IUGR was evaluated based on the fetal growth ratio method defined as the observed birth weight at a given gestational age to the mean birth weight using a sex-specific reference growth standard. Overall, 35% of infants weighing between 2500-3200 g showed patterns of IUGR. These patterns of underweight were associated with lower values in several of the anthropometric indicators and proportionality ratios used. Of all the maternal risk factors evaluated only previous history of low birth weight was found to be statistically significant between IUGR and non-IUGR groups, after adjustment of several control variables. Further analysis of IUGR infants with maternal history of low birth weight demonstrated significantly lower mean values for a variety of anthropometric indicators in comparison to non-IUGR infants without maternal history of low birth weight.