Contingent Screening for Small by Weight for Gestational Age Neonates

Area of Science:

• Maternal-fetal medicine
• Neonatal screening
• Obstetric ultrasound

Background:

• Small for gestational age (SGA) neonates are at increased risk for adverse outcomes.
• Current screening methods for SGA are suboptimal, especially in the absence of preeclampsia.
• Early identification of SGA neonates is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a contingent screening method for identifying SGA neonates.
• To assess the performance of this method in the absence of preeclampsia.
• To determine the optimal timing for risk stratification in pregnancy.

Main Methods:

• A contingent screening model was developed.
• Combined assessment at 19-24 weeks gestation was used for risk stratification.
• The method's ability to identify SGA neonates and its false positive rate were analyzed.

Main Results:

• The contingent screening method identified over 90% of SGA neonates prenatally.
• The false positive rate was 10%.
• Risk stratification effectively categorized patients based on their likelihood of having an SGA neonate.

Conclusions:

• Contingent screening is an effective strategy for identifying SGA neonates in the absence of preeclampsia.
• This method allows for early prenatal identification, facilitating timely management.
• The combined assessment at 19-24 weeks gestation provides a reliable basis for risk stratification.