Fetal Growth Restriction (Intrauterine Growth Restriction)

What are the signs and symptoms of fetal growth restriction?

The most common signs of fetal growth restriction are small fetal size and low fetal weight. Sometimes, the mother’s uterus will measure smaller than expected. Providers can find these signs during pregnancy with ultrasound. Babies born with fetal growth restriction may also have:

• Difficulty fighting off infection
• Low blood sugar levels
• Lower than typical body temperature
• High red blood cell count
• Higher risk for delayed neurologic development and delayed developmental milestones

What tests are used to diagnose fetal growth restriction?

Regular prenatal (before birth) care is essential for monitoring the growth and development of your baby. Your obstetrician or primary care doctor can sometimes diagnose fetal growth restriction during routine prenatal screenings. At the Colorado Fetal Care Center, we offer comprehensive prenatal care and tests.

Testing to diagnose fetal growth restriction may include:

• Fundal height measurement is the number of centimeters from the top of the pubic bone to the top of the uterus. From the 20^th week of pregnancy onward, the number of centimeters should be the same as the week of pregnancy. A lower length could mean fetal growth restriction. If you measure smaller than expected, your doctor will do an ultrasound to assess your baby’s growth.
• Fetal ultrasound can look at the anatomy and provide measurements of the baby and is the gold standard test for FGR diagnosis. Your provider uses these measurements to estimate the baby’s weight.
• Doppler ultrasound checks blood flow to the placenta and through the umbilical cord to the baby. Abnormal blood flow may result from a problem with the placenta causing the fetal growth restriction.

What can I expect from fetal growth restriction?

If you’re diagnosed with fetal growth restriction, we will monitor your pregnancy more closely. You may have more frequent ultrasounds and other tests to check on your baby’s growth and development.

How is fetal growth restriction treated?

If you have an underlying condition that is affecting your baby’s growth, such as high blood pressure, managing the condition may improve your baby’s growth.

Your provider may ask that you limit tiring activities to improve blood flow from the placenta to the baby. It’s also important to stay hydrated to supply more fluid to the uterus and placenta. In severe cases of FGR, you may need to stay in the hospital for rest and continuous monitoring.

If your baby stops growing or isn’t getting enough nourishment through the placenta, you may need to deliver before your due date. Babies born with fetal growth restriction may not be fully developed at birth and often require care in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Neonatologists, neonatal nurses and other specialists help these babies gain weight and get healthy enough to go home.

Why choose us for treatment of fetal growth restriction?

Our maternal fetal medicine specialists are experts at caring for mothers-to-be with high-risk pregnancies. Our team includes specially trained fetal radiologists and sonographers experienced in spotting FGR using ultrasound and other fetal imaging techniques.

Our maternal and fetal medicine researchers are continuously studying causes and treatments for fetal growth restriction. Their discoveries continue to improve what we know about the condition — and improve outcomes for babies with FGR.

Babies who stay in our NICU have one of the most experienced teams of neonatal experts in the U.S. caring for them. From doctors to lactation specialists to therapists and more, your baby will have a whole team to help them be as healthy as they can be.

Helpful resources

To learn more about the diagnosis and treatment of fetal growth syndrome, watch this video featuring Henry Galan, MD, a maternal-fetal medicine doctor in our Colorado Fetal Care Center.

To request an appointment with our maternal fetal medicine specialists, please call us at 720-777-4464.