Fetal growth and sex related to placenta praevia

Abstract

A retrospective study investigating all cases given a diagnosis of placenta praevia at the Birmingham Women's Hospital Trust, January 1993 to June 1997, was undertaken to investigate any neonatal sex or weight differences compared with the general singleton pregnancies. Mothers with placenta praevia were at increased risk of preterm delivery, fetal malpresentation and having a caesarean section as the mode of delivery. No differences were found in the fetal sex ratio or incidence of small for gestational age (SGA) infants and indeed male infants overall were larger for dates in the placenta praevia group when compared with their gestational equivalents in the control population. Although ultrasound assessment of pregnancies complicated by placenta praevia may be useful in checking the resolution of the condition by 'placental migration', there is no indication for its use in monitoring growth restriction.