Background: Abnormal fetal growth can be associated with factors during pregnancy and at postpartum.
Objective: In this study, we aimed to assess the incidence, risk factors, and feto-maternal outcomes associated with small-for-gestational age (SGA) and large-for-gestational age (LGA) infants.
Methods: We performed a population-based retrospective study on 14,641 singleton live births registered in the PEARL-Peristat Study between April 2017 and March 2018 in Qatar. We estimated the incidence and examined the risk factors and outcomes using univariate and multivariate analysis.
Results: SGA and LGA incidence rates were 6.0% and 15.6%, respectively. In-hospital mortality among SGA and LGA infants was 2.5% and 0.3%, respectively, while for NICU admission or death in labor room and operation theatre was 28.9% and 14.9% respectively. Preterm babies were more likely to be born SGA (aRR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.45-3.57) but male infants (aRR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.4-0.81), those born to parous (aRR 0.66; 95% CI, 0.45-0.93), or overweight (aRR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.42-0.97) mothers were less likely to be born SGA. On the other hand, males (aRR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.49-2.19), infants born to parous mothers (aRR 2.16; 95% CI, 1.63-2.82), or to mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (aRR 1.36; 95% CI, 1.11-1.66), or pre-gestational diabetes mellitus (aRR 2.58; 95% CI, 1.8-3.47) were significantly more likely to be LGA. SGA infants were at high risk of in-hospital mortality (aRR, 226.56; 95% CI, 3.47-318.22), neonatal intensive care unit admission or death in labor room or operation theatre (aRR, 2.14 (1.36-3.22).
Conclusion: Monitoring should be coordinated to alleviate the risks of inappropriate fetal growth and the associated adverse consequences.