Inferring fetal growth restriction as rare, severe, and stable over time.

ABSTRACT: Reduced birthweight is a marker of pathologies that impair growth and also decrease survival. However, "fetal growth restriction" remains poorly defined. Assuming that birthweight itself has no causal effect on neonatal mortality, we can estimate the features of pathological fetal growth that would be required to produce the observed pattern of weight-specific mortality. Under the simplest possible scenario, we find that at 39-41 weeks, pathological fetal growth restriction affects only about 0.5% of U.S. births, with a neonatal mortality risk up to 220-fold. This surprising concentration of pathology among a tiny subset of babies would account for roughly half of neonatal deaths at term. Moreover, the prevalence of these pathological births appears to have remained relatively stable over

SUBMITTER: Wilcox AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12358163 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature