Fetal growth restriction and chronic lung disease among infants born before the 28th week of gestation

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Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
14:19

Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction

Published on: June 29, 2013

Carl Bose1, Linda J Van Marter, Matthew Laughon

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. cbose@med.unc.edu

Pediatrics
|August 27, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a key prenatal predictor of chronic lung disease (CLD) in extremely premature infants. Identifying and managing FGR may reduce the risk of lung injury in these vulnerable newborns.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Perinatology
  • Pediatric Pulmonology

Background:

  • Improved survival rates for extremely premature infants have led to a rise in chronic lung disease (CLD).
  • Traditional neonatal risk factors for CLD are becoming less common.
  • Focus is shifting towards identifying prenatal factors that predict CLD development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify current prenatal predictors of chronic lung disease (CLD) in extremely premature infants.
  • To investigate the association between fetal growth restriction (FGR) and CLD risk.
  • To determine if placental factors predict CLD in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of prenatal, placental, and neonatal data from 1241 infants born before 28 weeks gestation.
  • Univariate and multivariate analyses to assess associations between various factors and CLD risk.
  • Specific focus on fetal growth restriction (FGR) as a potential predictor.

Main Results:

  • Birth weight z scores, indicating FGR, were the strongest prenatal predictors of CLD.
  • Placental inflammation or infection did not correlate with increased CLD risk.
  • Growth-restricted infants consistently showed higher CLD risk across different strata.

Conclusions:

  • Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is an independent risk factor for CLD in premature infants.
  • Factors influencing fetal growth may significantly impact lung injury vulnerability.
  • Prenatal identification of FGR can aid in managing CLD risk.
Abstract

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