[Treatment of intrauterine growth retardation with magnesium sulfate]

To study the relationship between magnesium level in umbilical vein and mother's peripheral blood with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and fetal weight.

39 pregnant women with IUGR were randomly divided into 3 groups: Group 1 (n = 14): The patients were treated with 10% glucose 500 ml + danshen compound 14 ml + low molecular weight dextran 500 ml i.v.; Group 2 (n = 14): in addition to the same treatment as in group 1, 25% magnesium sulfate 20 ml in 5% glucose 500 ml i.v. was given; Group 3 (n = 11): no treatment was given; and another 12 normal term delivery women were served as control. Magnesium concentration levels were determined in both maternal peripheral blood and their fetal umbilical vein.

Maternal serum magnesium level was higher in Group 2 (1.06 +/- 0.09) mmol/L than that in Group 1 (0.69 +/- 0.05) mmol/L (P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference between Group 1 and Group 3. The serum magnesium levels in both mother and fetal umbilical vein of normal pregnancy and of Group 2 were significantly higher than those of Group 1 and 3 (P < 0.01), so did the birth weight of their newborns (P < 0.05).

Magnesium deficiency might be one of the causes of IUGR, and magnesium sulfate treatment was effective.