Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 22, 2026
14:19
Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Published on: June 29, 2013
28.6K
Postnatal Catch-Up Growth After Suspected Fetal Growth Restriction at Term
Linda van Wyk1,2, Kim E Boers3, Aleid G van Wassenaer-Leemhuis4
1Departments of Obstetrics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands.
Frontiers in Endocrinology
|July 12, 2019
Summary
Children born after fetal growth restriction (FGR) show catch-up growth, influenced by obstetric management. Birth weight and FGR severity impact growth, with birth SDS affecting neurodevelopment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Obstetrics
- Neonatology
Background:
- Fetal growth restriction (FGR) at term affects infant development.
- Understanding postnatal growth patterns is crucial for optimizing outcomes.
- The impact of obstetric management on FGR infants requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze growth patterns in children born after suspected term FGR.
- To compare the effects of induction of labor (IoL) versus expectant management (EM) on postnatal growth.
- To evaluate the relationship between birth weight percentiles, catch-up growth, and neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 2.
Main Methods:
- A 2-year follow-up of children from the DIGITAT Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT).
- Calculation of Standard Deviation Scores (SDSs) for height and weight at various ages.
- Assessment of catch-up growth based on birth weight centiles and comparison between IoL and EM groups.
Main Results:
- Significant postnatal catch-up growth observed in the first 2 years.
- Expectant management (EM) was associated with more catch-up growth in the first month.
- Lower birth weight centiles (below 3rd and 10th) correlated with greater catch-up growth post-birth.
- Birth SDS was the strongest predictor of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 2.
Conclusions:
- Postnatal catch-up growth is typical after term FGR and is linked to FGR severity.
- Obstetric management strategies (IoL vs. EM) influence postnatal growth trajectories.
- Longer-term follow-up is recommended to monitor growth and physical health in these children.
Related Concept Videos
00:57Population Growth
28.0K
Population size is dynamic, increasing with birth rates and immigration, and decreasing with death rates and emigration. In ideal conditions with unlimited resources, populations can increase exponentially, which plots as a J-shaped growth rate curve of population size against time. This type of curve is characteristic of newly-introduced invasive species, or populations that have suffered catastrophic declines and are rebounding.
28.0K
02:36Meristems and Plant Growth
49.2K
Plants grow throughout their lives; this is called indeterminate growth, and it distinguishes plants from most animals. Although certain parts of plants stop growing (e.g., leaves and flowers), others grow continuously—like roots and stems.
49.2K
01:29Exponential Growth
44
Bacterial populations exhibit exponential growth when conditions such as nutrient availability and temperature are favorable. In this phase, cells reproduce through binary fission, where each cell divides into two identical daughter cells. This process causes the population to double at regular intervals, resulting in a growth rate that is directly proportional to the current number of cells. As the population increases, the number of new cells formed during each generation also grows, creating...
44
01:27Relationship Growth
210
Interpersonal relationships progress through stages, beginning with awareness and moving toward mutuality, where emotional connections deepen. While many relationships remain at moderate levels of mutuality, deeper connections form through self-disclosure, trust, and interdependence.Self-DisclosureSelf-disclosure involves revealing personal information, starting with surface-level details and gradually progressing to more intimate content. As trust grows, individuals feel more comfortable...
210
03:02Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots
60.2K
Vascular plants, which account for over 90% of the Earth’s vegetation, all undergo primary growth—which lengthens roots and shoots. Many land plants, notably woody plants, also undergo secondary growth—which thickens roots and shoots.
60.2K
01:28Bacterial Growth Curve
2.3K
The bacterial growth curve is a fundamental concept in microbiology that describes the dynamics of bacterial population growth in a closed system with controlled environmental conditions, such as temperature and nutrient availability. This curve is divided into four distinct phases: lag, log (exponential), stationary, and death phases, each reflecting a unique stage of bacterial adaptation and growth. During the lag phase, bacteria acclimate to their surroundings by synthesizing essential...
2.3K