Effects of Intrauterine Growth on Intestinal Length in the Human Fetus

Abstract

Standards for human fetal intestinal length are not well established but have important implications for the care of the preterm and intra-uterine growth-retarded (IUGR) infant. Our purpose was to examine the relationship between intra-uterine growth and intestinal length in the human fetus. One hundred infants were studied. Birth weight and gestational age ranged from 76 to 4,385 g and from 12 to 42 weeks, respectively. Twenty-one infants were noted to be IUGR. Intestinal length (total, small, large) increased (p < 0.0001) with birth weight, gestational age, and crown-heel length but was reduced in IUGR infants. The ratio of body weight to intestinal length increased with gestation but was also reduced in IUGR infants. In conclusion, a reduced functional mass, as suggested by decreased intestinal length or body weight:intestinal length ratio, may contribute to the poor weight sometimes seen in the very-low-birth weight or IUGR infant.