[Effect of placenta previa on fetal growth and development]

A retrospective study of 151 fetuses born of mothers with placenta previa in the maternity and our hospital in 1984-1991 was done. This study aimed at determining whether placenta previa affects growth and to what extend. We recorded the birth weight, crown-heel length, head and chest circumferences of each of the 151 fetuses. After calculating the average of each item. According to gestational week and type of placenta previa, they were compared with the 50th percentile numbers in normal fetuses of the same gestational age. The results were among the 151 features, born of mothers with placenta previa 19 (12.6%) suffered from intrauterine growth retardation, 80(53.0%) with birth weight less than normal fetuses, and 52(34.4%) with birth weight basically the same as normal fetuses. Most of the fetuses with birth weight less than normal, were born of mothers with total or partial placenta previa while most of those with birth weight basically the same as normal fetuses. At 28th to 32nd week were born mothers with lowly placenta previa of gestation there was no obvious difference between the birth weights of fetuses of placenta previa mothers and normal pregnancies (P greater than 0.05). But from 33rd week to 40th week, the difference became obvious (P less than 0.05); the chest circumference in fetuses of total and partial placenta previa cases obviously less (P less than 0.05). So we may say that placenta previa affects fetal weight gain, especially from 33rd week and the chest circumference, in the last three weeks.