We adults do not resemble each other. In addition to a variety of differences in appearance, we differ in height and weight, which no one is particularly worried about. But it's quite another matter - small children. For newborns (and even unborn babies), special criteria are calculated, the deviations from which usually say that something is wrong with the child. The main indicator is weight. That is why it is so important to control his entire current pregnancy - a small fetus may be a serious pathology that is not always compatible with life.
The weight of a child immediately after birth is of great importance for its further development, especially in the first year of life. He is able to influence all his health in the future. Children who are born with low body weight (up to 2.5 kg.), Are more exposed to obstetric complications: they are much worse for the delivery itself; In them, more often than in full-bodied children, intrauterine hypoxia develops, as well as various neurological disorders are common.
Pathology or a feature of the constitution?
Doctors have such a concept as a constitutionally smallish fruit. In some families, all children in several generations are born with a reduced mass, but they do not have any significant deviations in the subsequent development. Small children are most often born with thin parents of not very high height (less than 160 cm). In this case, even during pregnancy, a small fetus is diagnosed, and later a child with a small body weight is born. However, he is absolutely healthy and does not experience additional difficulties in the period of adaptation to adulthood.
But also a small fetus may indicate a severe pathology of pregnancy - fetoplacental insufficiency. In this case, such a pathology, which is a syndrome of fetal development delay (otherwise - fetal hypotrophy), requires special attention. Distinguish symmetric hypotrophy, when all the organs of the body are reduced evenly and asymmetrically, when the skeleton and brain correspond to the current term of pregnancy, and the internal organs are lagging behind in growth. The causes of this pathology are smoking, alcohol, chromosomal abnormalities, intrauterine infections.
The causes of the birth of children with low weight
More often asymmetric hypotrophy occurs in the last trimester in the presence of complications of pregnancy and chronic diseases in the mother. Any condition that leads to a violation of blood circulation causes a delay in intrauterine growth and development of the fetus. Chronic diseases of women, under which the organism is exposed to intoxication and lack of oxygen can not but affect the child, which leads to the development of the same hypotrophy.
The question of the influence of the mother's nutrition on the subsequent development of the fetus remains controversial. According to statistics, women with a deficit of weight, on a low-calorie diet, often give birth to children with low body weight. However, one can not ignore the data according to which, even at the time of the Leningrad blockade, children (and quite often) children with absolutely normal height and weight were born.
The age of the mother also plays an important role. Women under 18 and to a lesser extent after 35 years of age have a higher risk of fetal hypotrophy during pregnancy. The body is too young a mother is simply not ready for the upcoming workload, and the second category of mothers most often has chronic diseases. Also, the development of hypotrophy is promoted by smoking, as it leads to a pronounced narrowing of the vessels and a decrease in uteroplacental blood flow.
Diagnostics
The most accurate method of diagnosing the fetus is ultrasound. In the course of it, the doctor measures and evaluates many parameters. The accuracy of the diagnosis determines the quality and resolution of the device, the possibility of conducting Doppler. Also, ultrasound examines the condition of amniotic fluid, allowing to identify signs of abnormalities in the functioning of the placenta, as well as changes in blood circulation in Doppler.
To finally clarify the diagnosis, Doppler study of the umbilical cord and vessels of the fetus and blood vessels of the placenta - while the doctor tracks the speed and nature of the blood flow in them. In addition to dopplerometry, cardiotocography is performed to record the character of changes in fetal heart beats in response to its own perturbation or contractions in the uterus. If dopplerometry and CTG show normal data (even if the fetus is small), then this indicates the well-being of the baby. If the examination did not reveal any deviations, then we are talking about an absolutely healthy low-fetal fetus. A woman is simply observed without any additional therapy.
Treatment
If a small child develops normally during pregnancy, then treatment is not required. But if there is a risk of complications or any pathology in the development of the fetus, then the treatment of hypotrophy involves the therapy of maternal diseases and complications of pregnancy. Also, correction of placental insufficiency is carried out. A number of vasodilators are prescribed for the woman to improve blood supply to the vessels of the uterus and fetus. Also, drugs are given that relax the muscles of the uterus, because its increased tone compresses the blood vessels and worsens the blood flow. Apply drugs that increase fetal resistance to hypoxia - the most frequent "companion" of fetal malnutrition syndrome. Depending on the condition of the fetus, treatment can be performed at home or at the hospital.
The method and term of delivery depends largely on the condition of the fetus. If the treatment helps and the baby is gaining weight, then there is no sense in hastening the onset of labor. Usually by the end of pregnancy the child himself reaches a decent size. If the child does not gain weight, despite the treatment, then cause early delivery. With a gestation period of 36 weeks and ready-made birth canals, physicians are stimulated by natural labor. The childbirth is under careful control. With fetal hypotrophy, births are usually performed against the background of epidural anesthesia in order to achieve maximum relaxation. Then the cervix of the uterus opens up systematically, the child moves more easily through the birth canal. But if the baby is so weak that ordinary birth for him will be an insurmountable test, then the operation is performed by cesarean section.