Urinary oestrogen excretion in women with intra-uterine fetal growth retardation.

Abstract

Summary: The urinary oestrogen excretion of 50 mothers with confirmed intra‐uterine growth retardation of the fetus was normal in 37, low normal in 4 and low in 9. Although no fetal distress occurred in the women with low oestrogen excretion, 3 required Caesarean section for fetal distress during labour. One fetus died from an obstetric complication when the oestrogen excretion was normal and 2 when the oestrogen excretion was low. Greater care in the timing of delivery in patients with reduced urinary oestrogen excretion should further reduce perinatal mortality.