BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
August 26, 2026 · via Europe PMC
Added Value of Estimated Fetal Weight Growth Velocity to Doppler Evaluation for the Prediction of Perinatal Outcomes Among Foetuses With EFW < 10th Centile at Term: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
Meler E, Gil-Armas C, Moliner M, Mazarico E, Montañés C, Peguero A, Figueras F
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
In term fetuses with estimated weight below the 10th centile, slow growth velocity added no prediction of adverse outcomes beyond Doppler and biometry.
What was studied
Retrospective cohort of 600 singleton pregnancies at a tertiary centre, with composite adverse outcome of neonatal morbidity or pre-eclampsia.
Key findings
- Slow growth velocity occurred in 31.8%.
- It did not improve prediction beyond established Doppler and biometric criteria.
Clinical relevance
Questions the value of extra growth velocity assessment at term SGA.
Who should care
Limitations
Retrospective single-centre cohort.
Keep relying on Doppler and biometry.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether estimated fetal weight (EFW) growth velocity (GV), assessed using interval-specific standards, provides additional prediction beyond standard criteria for identifying adverse outcomes in term foetuses with EFW < 10th centile.
DESIGN
Retrospective cohort study.
SETTING
Tertiary perinatal centre.
POPULATION
A cohort of 600 singleton pregnancies diagnosed with EFW < 10th above 32 weeks and term delivered.
METHODS
GV between the diagnosis of SGA (EFW < 10th centile) and the last ultrasound before delivery was defined according to interval-specific standards in cases with at least two scans ≥ 14 days apart. Slow GV was considered the threshold for a 10% false positive rate for detecting SGA at birth according to published references [Hugh O. 2022]. Fetal growth restriction (FGR) was defined if: EFW < 3rd centile, middle cerebral artery pulsatility index or cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) < 5th centile, or umbilical or uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI) ≥ 95th centile. Slow GV was defined below the 10th centile adjusted for gestational age. Logistic regression analysis was performed.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
A composite adverse outcome (CAO) comprising neonatal morbidity or preeclampsia.
RESULTS
Slow GV was observed in 31.8% of cases. No significant differences were observed between groups in maternal characteristics, gestational age at diagnosis. At the last scan, foetuses with slow GV more frequently had an EFW < 3rd centile (52.4% vs. 23.2%; p < 0.001) and BW < 3rd centile (51.6% vs. 62.8; p < 0.05) and abnormal umbilical artery Doppler (4.2% vs. 1.0%; p = 0.023). No differences were observed in CAO rates (22.7% vs. 26.6%; p = 0.689). In multivariable analysis, EFW < 3rd centile, abnormal UtA-PI, and low CPR were independent predictors of CAO. Adding slow GV did not improve predictive performance (AUC 0.64 vs. 0.64; p = 0.54).
CONCLUSIONS
In term foetuses with EFW < 10th centile, slow EFW GV does not enhance the prediction of adverse perinatal outcomes beyond established Doppler and biometric criteria, questioning its clinical utility.
DOI
10.1111/1471-0528.70324
PMID
42644290
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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