Prediction of intra-uterine growth retardation using maternal glucose tolerance and anthropometric data.

Maternal anthropometric data and the intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) were investigated as predictors of idiopathic intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR). Eighty-three eligible subjects without known risk factors for IUGR were enrolled at 30.5 +/- 3.8 weeks' gestation and followed up until delivery at 39.3 +/- 1.9 weeks, at which stage the infants were assessed. There were no differences between the IVGTT profiles of mothers of infants which were appropriate for gestational age and those which were small for gestational age (SGA), irrespective of lenient or strict definitions of SGA. Third-trimester weight gain (grams per week) correlated well with both duration of pregnancy and birth weight (P less than 0.01). Correlations were also found between maternal weight and birth weight, between maternal height/weight ratio and birth weight, and between birth weight and maternal subscapular skinfold thickness.