Fetal growth impairment after first-trimester chorionic villus sampling: a case-control study

The objective of this study is to test if chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is associated with fetal growth impairment, after controlling for maternal and fetal factors.

Case-control study of singleton fetuses whose mothers had undergone CVS (N = 442) and 2969 controls. The primary outcomes were the prevalence of birthweight < 10th centile and birthweight <3rd centile; the prevalence of preeclampsia was the secondary outcome. Tested predictors in logistic regression analysis included CVS, free beta-hCG MoMs, PAPP-A MoMs, first-trimester mean uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) z-scores, maternal height, BMI, age, and smoking.

The proportion of newborns with birthweight <10th centile (7.9 versus 6.2%), and <3rd centile (1.6 versus 1.1%) did not differ between the two groups. Maternal age, smoking during pregnancy, PAPP-A MoMs, and mean first-trimester uterine PI z-score were significant predictors for these outcomes. Although the prevalence of preeclampsia was higher in the CVS group (3.2 versus 1.3%, OR 2.62, 95% CI 1.41-4.89), the association was abolished in the regression analysis, in which maternal body mass index, free b-hCG levels, and mean first-trimester uterine PI z-score were the only significant predictors.

CVS is not associated with fetal growth impairment, possibly because the resulting mechanical disruption is compensated by the developing placenta, without significantly impairing its function.