TY - JOUR
T1 - Influence of intrauterine growth status on aortic intima-media thickness and aortic diameter in near-term fetuses
T2 - a comparative cross-sectional study
AU - Azam, Iqbal
AU - Malik, Ayesha
AU - Mohammed, Nuruddin
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Cambridge University Press. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022/4/15
Y1 - 2022/4/15
N2 - Intrauterine undernutrition may lead to fetal vascular programming. We compared abdominal aortic intima-media thickness (aIMT) and aortic diameter (aD) between appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and growth-restricted fetuses (GRF). We recruited 136 singleton fetuses at 34-37 weeks of gestation from Fetal Medicine Unit of Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi (January-November 2017). Subjects were classified as AGA (n = 102) and GRF (n = 34) using INTER-GROWTH 21st growth reference and standard ultrasound protocol. Their far- and near-wall aIMT and aD were compared after adjustment of maternal age, first-trimester body mass index, fetal gender, hypertension and hyperglycemia in pregnancy. As the severity of growth restriction increased in GRF, aIMT and aD showed an increasing and a decreasing trend, respectively. Both far- and near-wall aIMT in GRF [(adj. β = 0.082, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.042-0.123) and (adj. β = 0.049, 95% CI 0.010-0.089)] were significantly greater with reference to AGA fetuses. GRF subgroup analysis into small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses and intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) revealed highly significant difference between AGA and IUGR for far (0.142 mm, P-value < 0.001) and near-wall aIMT (0.115 mm, P-value < 0.001) and marginally significant aD difference (0.51 mm, P-value 0.05). These findings suggest that the extent of fetal aortic remodelling is influenced by the severity of growth restriction. Hence, the targeted interventions for the cardiovascular health promotion of IUGR and SGA born neonates are desirable during early childhood, particularly in set ups with high prevalence of low birth weight babies.
AB - Intrauterine undernutrition may lead to fetal vascular programming. We compared abdominal aortic intima-media thickness (aIMT) and aortic diameter (aD) between appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and growth-restricted fetuses (GRF). We recruited 136 singleton fetuses at 34-37 weeks of gestation from Fetal Medicine Unit of Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi (January-November 2017). Subjects were classified as AGA (n = 102) and GRF (n = 34) using INTER-GROWTH 21st growth reference and standard ultrasound protocol. Their far- and near-wall aIMT and aD were compared after adjustment of maternal age, first-trimester body mass index, fetal gender, hypertension and hyperglycemia in pregnancy. As the severity of growth restriction increased in GRF, aIMT and aD showed an increasing and a decreasing trend, respectively. Both far- and near-wall aIMT in GRF [(adj. β = 0.082, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.042-0.123) and (adj. β = 0.049, 95% CI 0.010-0.089)] were significantly greater with reference to AGA fetuses. GRF subgroup analysis into small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses and intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) revealed highly significant difference between AGA and IUGR for far (0.142 mm, P-value < 0.001) and near-wall aIMT (0.115 mm, P-value < 0.001) and marginally significant aD difference (0.51 mm, P-value 0.05). These findings suggest that the extent of fetal aortic remodelling is influenced by the severity of growth restriction. Hence, the targeted interventions for the cardiovascular health promotion of IUGR and SGA born neonates are desirable during early childhood, particularly in set ups with high prevalence of low birth weight babies.
KW - Intima-media thickness
KW - fetal growth restriction
KW - late preterm fetuses
KW - vascular remodelling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85108061342&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S2040174421000295
DO - 10.1017/S2040174421000295
M3 - Article
C2 - 34127175
AN - SCOPUS:85108061342
SN - 2040-1744
VL - 13
SP - 212
EP - 219
JO - Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
JF - Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
IS - 2
ER -