Does placenta praevia predispose to intra-uterine growth retardation? A case control study

Abstract

SummaryA retrospective descriptive case-control study was made of patients with a major degree of placenta praevia from 1986 to 1991, to assess the relationship to intra-uterine growth retardation. Seventy-two cases of placenta praevia were studied in relation to controls matched for maternal age, height, weight, parity, smoking habit, ethnic group and fetal sex.In the placenta praevia group, there were nine babies (13 per cent) with birth weights below the 10th centile but only one that fulfilled the criteria of placental dysfunction and intra-uterine growth retardation. There were no small for dates or growth retarded babies in the control group. Neonatal nutritional status as defined by the ponderal index was similar in the two groups (mean 2.32 versus 2.34), though lower than the reference range (2-32-2-85).Larger studies will be required to evaluate the causal role of placenta praevia in intra-uterine growth retardation.