Maternal serum placental growth hormone at 11-13 weeks' gestation in pregnancies delivering small for gestational age neonates

Authors: Sifakis, Stavros¹; Akolekar, Ranjit; Kappou, Dimitra; Mantas, Nikitas²; Nicolaides, Kypros H.²

Source: Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, Volume 25, Number 9, September 2012 , pp. 1796-1799(4)

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Abstract:

Objective: To investigate whether the maternal serum concentration of human placental growth hormone (PGH) at 11-13 weeks' gestation is altered in pregnancies that deliver small for gestational age (SGA) neonates. Methods: Maternal serum concentration of PGH was measured in 60 cases that subsequently delivered SGA neonates in the absence of preeclampsia and compared to 120 non-SGA controls. Results: In the SGA group, compared to the non-SGA group, there was no significant difference in the median PGH MoM (0.95 MoM, IQR 0.60-1.30 vs. 1.00 MoM, IQR 0.70-1.30, p = 0.97). There was no significant association between PGH MoM and birth weight percentile in either the SGA (p = 0.72) or in the non-SGA group (p = 0.63). Conclusion: Maternal serum PGH at 11-13 weeks' gestation is unlikely to be a useful biochemical marker for early prediction of SGA.

Keywords: Fetal growth; first-trimester screening; insulin-like growth factor-I; placental growth hormone; pyramid of care; small for gestational age

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/14767058.2012.663834

Affiliations: 1: 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece 2: 2Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, UK

Publication date: 2012-09-01

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