Antenatal care as a screening tool for the detection of small for gestational age babies in the low risk population

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Abstract
The detection of small for gestational age babies is the usual first step in the identification of the truly growth retarded and at risk fetus. In the low risk population detection of these fetuses is made more difficult by the low index of suspicion and the non-interventional type of care offered to most women in this group. This study was designed to provide data on our current ability to detect the small for gestational age fetus in the low risk population, to assess the risk these babies carry in comparison with their better grown counterparts and to determine whether making a diagnosis improved the outcome for this group. Antenatal care as practised at the time of the study was a poor screening tool for the detection of the small for gestational age fetus. This group do, as recognised, carry an increased risk of adverse outcome, however the powers of detection were so poor that to draw any conclusions concerning improvement of outcomes for those detected was not possible.