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Updated: Nov 20, 2025
The 4-vessel Sampling Approach to Integrative Studies of Human Placental Physiology In Vivo
Published on: August 2, 2017
First-trimester screening model for small-for-gestational-age using maternal clinical characteristics, serum
Young Ran Kim1, Goeun Park2, Eun Hui Joo1
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CHA Bundang Medical Center CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea.
Objective:
To examine predictive value of first trimester placental volume, maternal clinical characteristics, and serum biomarkers in predicting small-for-gestational-age (SGA) singleton pregnancy.
Methods:
We conducted a prospective study to determine whether SGA is associated with maternal clinical factors. Between November 2016 to May 2018, 351 women were enrolled. We included pregnant women who underwent an integrated test for aneuploidy screening. Placental volume, maternal clinical characteristics, and maternal serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) levels in the first trimester (at 10+0-13+6 weeks) and maternal serum biomarkers after 15+0-22+6 weeks were measured. We measured the width, height, and thickness of the placenta and calculated the placental volume using an established mathematical formula; then, we analyzed the association between SGA at delivery, estimated placental volume (EPV), maternal clinical characteristics, and maternal serum biomarkers by multiple logistic regression analysis.
Results:
In this study, 12.3% (43/351) neonates were delivered before 37 weeks of gestation, and the birth weight of 23.6% (83/351) was below the 10th percentile according to gestational age. On multivariate logistic regression, the MSAFP multiples of the median (MoM) showed the strongest association with SGA in singleton pregnancy (p < .01), and the PAPP-A MoM showed a weaker association in the multiple logistic regression than in the univariate regression (p = .0073 and .0068, respectively). Our prediction model using maternal age, maternal smoking, PAPP-A, and EPV achieved an area under the curve of 0.668 in singleton pregnancy.
Conclusion:
During the first trimester, maternal clinical characteristics, serum biomarkers, and EPV may be used for predicting the risk of SGA in singleton pregnancy.
