Intrauterine growth retardation: incidence, screening results, pregnancy outcome.

Intrauterine growth retardation is detrimental to the health of fetuses and neonates both immediately and in the long run. A risk scoring system to help screen for this complication has been developed as a result of this prospective study. With the incidence of intrauterine growth retardation at approximately 9 per cent in this study population, the final risk scoring system with its 6 variables and total score of 10 was found to be quite useful as a screening method because of its high sensitivity (91.18%) and high negative predictive value (98.14%). Screening by this risk scoring system should be helpful and prove practical among health personnel with varying levels of expertise and experience. Most gravidae had easy labour and delivered within 24 hours. Instrumental delivery rate was high with caesarean section rate of 17.6 per cent. Almost 70 per cent of the intrauterine growth retarded babies were symmetrical type and the perinatal mortality rate in this group was 42.3 which is approximately 4 times that in general population delivered at this hospital.