Role of assays of total estriol in amniotic fluid for the diagnosis of fetal hypotrophy.

Abstract

, In hypotrophic fetuses and newborn infants 'perinatal morbidity and mortality are much increased compared to those in eutrophic infants [11, 13]. In severecases,brain developmentin the small-for-date babies may be impaired [4, 5, 14, 22 231 De'tection of these high-risk infants and assessment of their well-being prior to birth are of considerable interest to the obstetrician since he may hereby obtain useful indications for therapy. The diagnosis of fetal hypotrophy is now generally made by ultrasonic measurement of fetal size and hormone assays. In this connection, estriol is one of the compounds in amniotic fluid which has attracted attention. Estriol, which is synthesized in verylargeamountsduringlatepregnancy,isalmost entirely a product of the feto-placental unit [3] Since amniotic fluid is free of direct maternal influences, it is conceivable that its estriol concentrations w l reflect current fetal and placental function and fetal development The major objective of this study has been to examine estriol concentrations in amniotic fluid in eutrophic and hypotrophic infants and then to clarify whether and to what extent estriol assays in the liquor may contribute to the antenatal identification of intrauterine hypotrophy.