Pregnancy is not only a happy time, when the expectant mother expects the birth of her long-awaited crumbs. In addition to joyful expectation, this time is also often filled with worries and anxieties, because every mom wants her baby to be born healthy and very worried if suddenly problems start. One of the unpleasant surprises during pregnancy may be the news of a delay in the development of the fetus.
As you can guess from the name itself, this problem is due to the lag in the physical development of the child, who is still in the womb. Among doctors, these babies are sometimes called "small". Usually, these children are born earlier than it is necessary with a normal course of pregnancy. As a rule, the gestational age does not reach 36 weeks. Of all the children who have a delay in intrauterine development, only 5-6% are born in the meantime.
Varieties and severity of fetal development retardation
The delay in the development of the fetus can be symmetrical or asymmetric. With a symmetrical delay , the mass of the body corresponds to the overall growth of the baby. That is, if there is a deficit in body weight, then self-organization is less developed. In other words, the fetus as a whole is developed harmoniously, just a little less than it should be, according to the term of the woman's pregnancy.
With asymmetric developmental delay the child is developed as prescribed for the present term of pregnancy, but there is a deficiency in his body mass. In other words, he normally has the growth and circumference of the head, but he weighs much less than he should. It should be noted that according to the observations of the doctors, the asymmetric retardation of fetal development is much more common than the asymmetric one.
In addition to the species, intrauterine growth retardation (HRV) is also assessed by severity. The higher the degree of the RVRP, the more dangerous it is for health, and in some cases even for the future child's life.
- I degree - the fetus is delayed in its development for 2 weeks
- II degree - the fetus is delayed in its development on a 3-4 week
- III degree - the fetus is delayed in development for more than 4 weeks.
Why there is a delay in the development of the fetus
Of course, the fetus can be delayed in development is not so simple. There are reasons for everything and this situation is by no means an exception. Let's consider the main causes of fetal development retardation:
- disturbed metabolism of the fetus;
- very poor diet of women;
- Smoking and drinking of alcoholic beverages in large quantities by the mother during pregnancy;
- anomalies in sets of chromosomes;
- transferred by the mother during pregnancy, viral diseases (especially herpes, toxoplasmosis and rubella);
- abnormal work of the placenta (insufficient supply of the baby with nutrients). Sometimes this is a consequence of severe gestosis;
- negative impact of the environment (poor ecology, high levels of radiation, etc.);
- uncontrolled acceptance of certain medicines.
If smoking, taking alcoholic beverages and strong medicines, as well as poor environmental conditions, are almost unquestionable, since any future mother understands that this can lead to various violations in the development of the fetus, other reasons should be considered in more detail.
Misapplication of the placenta, and speaking physicians, fetoplacental insufficiency is one of the most common causes of ZVRP.Pri this often takes place is an asymmetric delay in development. Because the placenta is unable to supply the baby with enough nutrients, the child does not have the opportunity to develop normally. Phytoplacental insufficiency can develop due to gestosis, and also from the bad development of the umbilical cord. Also very often this happens during a lot of pregnancy.
However, it is often impossible to establish the cause of the ZVRP. Doctors can only make assumptions based on common analyzes of women's grievances. It often happens that the delay in development is not caused by one, but several reasons.
Symptoms of fetal development retardation
Unfortunately, this pathology does not have such pronounced symptoms that a woman could with 100th confidence determine its presence. It is timely to note that the fetus does not develop properly, it is possible only with a regular visit to the doctor.
In the people it is often possible to meet such an opinion that if a woman during pregnancy gains very little weight, then the fruit is delayed development. In fact, this is not a true statement. It happens that there are women who gain a lot of excess weight during pregnancy, the baby is still delayed in development. Although there are also critical situations, when a pregnant woman suddenly decides to lose excess pounds and will sit on a strict diet. Here, any person will understand that the futuremama in this situation greatly risks the health of his unborn baby.
A high degree of delay can sometimes be determined by how strongly and often the child moves in the abdomen. If a woman noticed that the fetus began to move much less often and its tremors became weaker, then it should quickly call an ambulance and undergo a survey.
How is the examination?
First the doctor always examines the woman. If it is noticed that the female is smaller than the size that is laid on the given time, then it sends the future mother to the ultrasound, since there is an assumption that the baby is less than it should be.
During the ultrasound, the specialist will measure the circumference of the head and tummy of the baby, as well as the length of his thigh. The approximate weight of the child will be calculated.
After ultrasound, the expectant mother can also be referred for dopplerometric examination. Thanks to him, doctors will be able to assess the condition of the vessels of the placenta and umbilical cord and determine whether there are abnormalities of the bladder. Finally, cardiotocography of intrauterine fetus will be performed, thanks to which doctors will be able to determine in what state the baby is now, and also to find out whether hypoxia is present.
How to treat delayed fetal development?
The IRRT must necessarily be treated as quickly as possible in order to prevent it from growing into a serious degree. The only time a doctor can wait a little with taking measures is to delay the development of the fetus for one week, but in no case more. But even in this case, the doctor can observe the baby for no more than 5-7 days, and if there are no improvements, he should immediately begin therapy.
Treatment with medicines
In order to eliminate the delay in the development of the fetus, the doctor, as a rule, prescribes medicines, the action of which is directed by the nato in order to improve the blood flow in the placenta. In addition, usually prescribed kursitamins to support the mother and baby.
Food
The diet of a pregnant woman should be completely balanced. In the menu must be present vegetables, fruits, as well as dairy products. It is especially recommended to eat foods containing proteins, as the need for them will increase greatly.
In any case, the delay in fetal development is not a verdict in any case. This problem can be eliminated if in time to turn to inattention and conduct appropriate treatment.