[Rate of intrauterine growth retardation at the Leipzig Perinatal Center comparing the years 1982 to 1984 with 1987 to 1989].

Referring to the number of all live-born children, hypotrophic newborn (IUGR) were classified at the Centre for Perinatal Care in Leipzig into two periods of time. Based on the 5th Kyank-percentile 6.5% hypotrophic newborn were classified into period A (1982-1984) and 5.0% hypotrophic newborn were classified in period B (1987-1989). The proportion of hypotrophic newborn with a birth weight < 2500 g amounted to one quarter of all infants (except multiple birth) with low birth weight in period A and to one fifth (20.7%) in period B. The decrease in the rate of hypotrophy in these infants affected nearly exclusively the mature ones. The number of infants with extreme intra-uterine growth retardation amounted to 29% (99 in 329) in period A and to 24% (58 in 238) in period B. The rate of hypotrophy in stillbirths decreased from 44% to 33%. In this process the proportion of extremely hypotrophic stillbirths amounted to 47% in period A, whereas it decreased to only 26% in period B.