What Does 8t Mean if Your Baby Is Not Growing in the Womb

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Information from Your Family Doctor

IUGR—Why Is My Infant Minor and What Can Be Washed About It?

Am Fam Medico. 1998 October fifteen;58(half dozen):1393-1394.

  Run across related commodity on intrauterine growth retardation.

What is IUGR?

IUGR stands for intrauterine growth retardation. This means that your baby is growing slowly and doesn't counterbalance as much as your doc expected for this stage of pregnancy. If your unborn baby weighs less than well-nigh babies at this phase, your baby might accept IUGR. IUGR is as well used to depict a baby who weighs less at birth than most babies at the same stage. For babies who are born near their due date (meaning, they aren't premature), the dangerous weight is anything less than 5 pounds, viii ounces.

Your doc might doubtable IUGR if he or she thinks your baby is growing slightly less than would be expected. IUGR is usually diagnosed during an ultrasound examination. Doctors most oftentimes find it during the 6th, the 7th or the 8th months of pregnancy.

Information technology'due south of import to know that IUGR merely means slowed growing. These small babies aren't mentally slow or retarded. Most small-scale babies grow up to exist good for you children and adults.

Why is my baby small-scale?

Doctors know many of the causes of IUGR simply are merely able to exist sure about the cause in about one half of babies who have IUGR. The well-nigh common reasons for a baby to be small are the following:

• The female parent smoked cigarettes during pregnancy.

• The mother drank booze during pregnancy.

• The mother had high claret pressure during pregnancy.

• The female parent had infections during pregnancy.

• The baby has chromosomal abnormalities (similar Downward syndrome).

• The mother used certain medicines during pregnancy.

• The mother is small (less than 5 feet tall or weighing less than 110 pounds).

Why is my baby's size important?

The all-time predictor of a baby'southward survival and adept health is its birth weight. Babies born with low birth weight might have bug well-nigh the time of birth. Because of the danger of some of these problems—such as difficulty property a normal torso temperature or fighting infection—your doc will practice some tests to observe out if your baby is growing well, both earlier and after nascency.

What tests might be done on my infant?

Two tests can find out if your baby has IUGR and go on track of your baby'south growth in the womb. These tests are the ultrasound exam and the nonstress test. The start kind of test, the ultrasound exam, is used to detect out if your infant has IUGR. This exam is done every 3 to four weeks to make sure your baby is still growing right. The ultrasound exams let your doctor look at your infant's internal organs and measure out the amount of fluid around the baby.

Special ultrasound exams are called biophysical profiles. During a biophysical profile, the person who does the exam will also watch your infant's breathing, muscle tone and movements.

The other test is the nonstress test. This exam is usually done in the doctor's office, but it might be done in a hospital. A nonstress examination measures how fast your infant's heart is beating. A good for you baby normally has a heartbeat that gets faster as the baby moves around. A nonstress examination takes nigh 20 to 30 minutes to do. Information technology might accept longer if your baby is asleep.

Sometimes your doctor wants to watch your baby's heartbeat while your uterus contracts (squeezes together). This is called a wrinkle stress test. In that location are two means to help y'all have contractions for just a little while. Beginning, your nipples will be warmed up. Sometimes this makes your uterus commencement contracting for a trivial while. If that doesn't work, y'all could accept a special medicine (either oxytocin or pitocin), to make your uterus contract just for a little while.

What happens if a test isn't normal?

If one of the tests isn't normal, your md may want to do other tests. Your doctor may likewise try to start your labor early (induce labor) if you might take a problem.

What will the medico practise to help my baby?

If your baby is very small when it'due south built-in, your doctor tin can give it oxygen through a nose tube, fluids through a tube in a vein and, sometimes, antibiotics.

What can I practise to assistance my baby?

You can do five important things to help your baby abound big enough earlier it's born:

1. If you smoke—quit now. Cigarettes injure the placenta, which is your baby's only style to get "food." It's never too late to quit smoking. Babies gain i half of their weight in the last three months before being born.

2. If you drink booze—quit now. Even one beverage a day makes it more likely that you lot volition have a small baby. Yous could even have a babe with brain harm caused by the alcohol. This tin happen in all months of pregnancy.

3. If you use illegal drugs—quit now. Most all illegal drugs make babies likewise small to be strong and healthy. Yous may need your doctor'south help to quit and then you lot don't have withdrawal problems.

4. Eat a good nutrition. Ask your doctor to tell you the best foods to swallow.

5. Proceed all your appointments for doctor visits and tests.

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This handout is provided to you past your family unit doctor and the American University of Family Physicians. Other health-related information is available from the AAFP online at http://familydoctor.org.

This data provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family unit doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more than information on this subject.

Copyright © 1998 by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
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