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Updated: May 9, 2026
Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Published on: June 29, 2013
The Correlation of Antenatal Sonographic Parameters and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Fetal Growth Restriction
Natalie T Simon1, Roopjit Sahi2, Emma E H Peek2
1Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA, natalie.simon@cuanschutz.edu.
Introduction:
The aim of the study was to explore preliminary associations between antenatal sonographic parameters and early childhood neurodevelopmental outcomes in fetuses with fetal growth restriction (FGR) or small for gestational age (SGA). FGR was defined as estimated fetal weight (EFW) <3rd percentile or abnormal Doppler. SGA was defined as EFW 3rd-10th percentile with normal Doppler.
Methods:
This pilot exploratory study (n = 32; 28 FGR, 4 SGA) included infants with available Bayley-III Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-III) scores from a larger prospective cohort of 90 FGR/SGA pregnancies. Sonographic parameters from the final predelivery ultrasound included abdominal circumference (AC), umbilical vein flow (UVF), corpus callosum length, cerebellar vermian height, transverse cerebellar diameter, and insular circumference-to-head circumference (IC/HC) ratio. Associations between sonographic parameters and BSID neurodevelopmental outcomes were assessed. Multivariate linear regression model was constructed for each BSID scale using significant predictors.
Results:
In this subset, AC (r = 0.516, p = 0.003) and EFW (r = 0.462, p = 0.008) were associated with motor scores; UVF was associated with language (r = 0.545, p = 0.001) and total scores (r = 0.440, p = 0.012); and IC/HC was associated with adaptive behavior (r = -0.478, p = 0.006). In multivariable models, AC remained associated with motor outcomes (β = 0.369, 95% CI 0.04-1.08), UVF with language outcomes (β = 0.408, 95% CI 0.07-0.67), and IC/HC with adaptive behavior (β = -0.474, 95% CI -826.04 to -170.78). After adjusting for gestational age at delivery, UVF and IC/HC associations remained significant. Findings should be interpreted cautiously, given the small sample size.
Conclusion:
AC, UVF, and IC/HC may have preliminary associations with early neurodevelopmental outcomes. These findings are hypothesis-generating and warrant validation in larger cohorts before clinical application.
