Fetal growth response to total parenteral nutrition in pregnancy. A case report.

Although clinical experience with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in pregnancy is accumulating, assessment of the fetal growth response to this therapy has been limited primarily to birth weight. We performed serial ultrasonographic measurements of the fetal biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL) and abdominal circumference (AC) in a patient who received TPN because of chronic malnutrition. BPD and FL were within normal limits before and after TPN. Consistent with asymmetric growth retardation, the AC was low prior to TPN and increased significantly after TPN was administered. Estimated fetal weight increased accordingly. These data suggest that TPN can reverse subnormal fetal growth secondary to maternal nutritional deprivation.