Objective: To determine the relation between weight deficit at birth and IGF-I, IGFBP-I, Leptin, and AFP levels in amniotic fluid after 14-18 weeks; to assess the diagnostic usefulness of these biochemical markers.
Study design: Longitudinal, prospective study. Amniocentesis was performed in pregnant women after 14-18 weeks of gestation.
Study population: 86 controls, 18 IUGR <10 percentile, and 17 IUGR <5 percentile.
Results: No significant correlation was found between severity of IUGR and IGF-I, IGFBP-I, or Leptin. AFP was inversely correlated with severity of IUGR; results for the IUGR <10 percentile were: S: 65.7%, SP: 56.9%, PPV: 38.3%, NPV: 80.3%, and an overall diagnostic capacity of 65.6%. Results for the IUGR <5 percentile were: S: 76.4%, SP: 54.8%, PPV: 21.6%, NPV: 93.4% were obtained, and an overall capacity of 70.6%.
Conclusions: Elevated values of AFP in amniotic fluid may help early detection of populations at risk of developing IUGR.