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Published on: June 29, 2013
[Pre-conception factors for intrauterine growth retardation]
Li Hu1, Hongzhuan Tan, Shujin Zhou
1Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Central South University, Changsha 410078,China.
Objective:
To analyze the pre-conception factors for intrauterine growth retardation.
Methods:
A nested case-control study was conducted in a cohort of 1368 women from 14 Child and Maternity Health Care Departments by cluster sampling method in Liuyang City, Hunan Province. Following-up until delivery, we collected their medical records and maternal health care manual materials. All neonates with intrauterine growth retardation were detected in the follow-up (the case group) and another 186 neonates without intrauterine growth retardation, matched with gender and mother's age, were randomly selected from the cohort as controls. χ2 test and multiple conditional logistic regression were used to investigate the determinants of intrauterine growth retardation.
Results:
Intrauterine growth retardation was associated with BMI (OR=64.775), waist circumference (OR=0.166), abortion (OR=6.997), level of total cholesterol (OR=0.045), folic acid (OR=0.077), and cortisol (OR=9.164).
Conclusion:
Intrauterine growth retardation is associated with BMI, waist circumference, abortion,level of total cholesterol, folic acid, and cortisol. Effective measures to reduce intrauterine growth retardation in children include strengthening the detection of pre-pregnancy blood biochemical indicators to guide health care during pregnancy, and increasing nutrition during pregnancy according to pre-pregnancy BMI and waist circumference.
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