IUGR

Question 1

What is IUGR?

Answer 1

Intrauterine growth restriction - failure of the fetus to achieve its growth potential for a given gestational age
-> Small for gestational age (SGA): – having a birth weight below the 10th percentile for a given gestational age

Question 2

Define symmetrical IUGR and asymmetrical IUGR
• Understand the hypothesis and concept of “developmental origins of adult disease” hypothesis
• Describe the common risk factors of IUGR and how this impact as a health risk for animals

Answer 2

…

Question 3

What is symmetrical IUGR?

Answer 3

• foetus with small head & small abdomen
  •25% of IUGR fetuses •Decrease in the rate of cell
  reproduction, resulting in fewer cells
  •Early intrauterine infections, e.g. rubella, toxoplasmosis
  •Chronic high blood pressure •Severe malnutrition
  • Anemia

Question 4

What is asymmetrical IUGR?

Answer 4

• foetus with normal head & small abdomen
  •Normal growth first trimesters problem at third trimester
  •impaired growth of the body only •Failure of the cells to increase in
  size resulting in less fat and
  smaller abdominal organs. •”long and skinny.”

Question 5

Some maternal causes of IUGR…

Answer 5

• Multiple pregnancies (litter size too big)
• Disease (high BP, infection eg. rubella toxoplasmosis)
• smoking, alcohol, abusing drugs
• age
• nutrition levels
• stress

Question 6

Some foetal causes of IUGR…

Answer 6

• chromosome disorder (trisomy 21 - down syndrome)
• infections -> foetus
• congenital malformations (eg. heart disease)
• radiation

Question 7

The placental & umbilical cord causes of IUGR

Answer 7

Problems associated with Placenta & Umbilical cord
insufficient placental functioning MAINS REASON (The tissue that carries oxygen, food and blood to the
baby)
• Umbilical cord around neck, too fine/thin, umbilical cord prolapse??
• High blood pressure during pregnancy (called preeclampsia)
• multiplegestation
• uterine malformations

Question 8

What are the postnatal risks associated with IUGR?

Answer 8

leads to major metabolic disorders throughout postnatal life
• Prenatal asphyxia
• aspiration pneumonia
• Lower resistance to infection
• Hypothermia due to low subcutaneous fat and
elevated surface/volume ratio

Question 9

What are the adult-onset risk factors of IUGR?

Answer 9

CV disease
obesity
metabolic syndrome

Question 10

Explain “the Barker hypothesis”…

Answer 10

aka. “developmental origins of adult disease” - proposes that these diseases originate through adaptations of the fetus when it is UNDERNOURISHED