Everything You Need To Know About Intrauterine Growth Restriction

Intrauterine growth restriction occurs when a baby’s growth is not normal. It can cause a lot of complication for both the baby and the mother. A fetal health scan can let you know whether your baby’s growth is normal or not. Take a look at what is intrauterine growth restriction.

Types of IUGR

There are two types of intrauterine growth restriction that can occur which are symmetrical IUGR and Asymmetrical IUGR. Symmetrical IUGR is where a baby’s body parts are proportionally smaller than normal. Asymmetrical IUGR, on the other hand, means the baby might have a normal size head and brain but the rest is smaller than normal.

Causes of IUGR

When a complication with the placenta occurs, it leads to intrauterine growth restriction of the baby. Most of the time the cause to this is lack of nourishment and oxygen. Other causes for this complication are:

• Advanced diabetes

• Kidney disease or lung disease

• Infections such as rubella, syphilis, etc.

• Cardiovascular Disease

• Malnutrition or anaemia

• Smoking and drinking alcohol

• Sickle cell anaemia

• Chromosomal defects in the baby or multiple babies

Diagnosis of IUGR

Diagnosis of IUGR should be done as soon as possible. In order to that, you will need to get a fetal health scan in between week 16 to week 42. During this scan, the femur length, head circumference and fetal weight will be measured and compared with the average weight and measurement.

Treatment of IUGR

Your doctor will tell you the kind treatment, you can undergo based on the severity of your baby’s condition and your stage of pregnancy. Your doctor might recommend keeping you under close watch to track the growth and the development of the baby. He also might recommend bed rest for the rest of your pregnancy, especially if you are in your third trimester. Fortunately, if it is caught early on, eating healthy and taking a lot of rest can help gain weight. But, in such cases, C-section might become the only way of delivery.

Prevention of IUGR

As it is said that prevention is better than cure, IUGR can also be prevented by the following ways:

1. Timely appointment for fetal health scan as it will detect any problem.

2. Towards the end, always keep track of your baby’s movement. It might be a problem if the baby suddenly stops moving.

3. Always eat healthily and drink a lot of water to keep your baby well-nourished.

4. Taking a rest for at least eight hours every day is also necessary.

5. Avoid unhealthy food, alcohol and smoking.

Make sure you take all the necessary precautions and get a fetal health scan in Milton Keynes at the right time.