Fetal Pancreas in Growth Restriction: A Prenatal Window Into Metabolic and Genetic Risk.

Area of Science:

• Perinatology
• Fetal Medicine
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is associated with impaired pancreatic islet development.
• This impairment can lead to glucose intolerance persisting into adulthood.
• Understanding fetal pancreatic development in FGR is crucial for metabolic health assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the relationship between fetal pancreatic biometry and FGR.
• To investigate pancreatic size as a potential indicator in FGR pregnancies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of fetuses diagnosed with FGR.
• Prenatal ultrasound measurements of pancreatic circumference.
• Comparison with normative reference values and analysis of associations with EFW, AC, Doppler, GA, GDM, and abnormalities.

Main Results:

• The majority of FGR fetuses (75%) had pancreatic circumference at or below the 50th percentile.
• A significant portion (36.2%) fell below the 10th percentile, and 27.5% below the 5th percentile.
• Pancreas size showed moderate correlation with estimated fetal weight (EFW) and abdominal circumference (AC).

Conclusions:

• Fetuses with FGR demonstrate reduced pancreatic size.
• The fetal pancreas may serve as a novel imaging marker in FGR.
• Further research is warranted to explore the long-term metabolic programming implications.