Fetal Adrenal Gland Volume in Normal versus Growth Restricted Fetuses

Abd El Salam, Sahar; ElBaradie, Sahar M.Y.; Etman, Mohamed Kamal; Badran, Haitham

doi:10.21608/fumj.2025.321935.1393

Fetal Adrenal Gland Volume in Normal versus Growth Restricted Fetuses

Document Type : Full Length research Papers

Authors

¹ Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt

² Professor of obstetrics and gynecology, faculty of medicine, Fayoum university.

³ Obstetrics and gynecology department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University

⁴ OB/GYN-Faculty of Medicine-Fayoum university

10.21608/fumj.2025.321935.1393

Abstract

Introduction: The term "intrauterine growth restriction" (IUGR) refers to a rate of fetal growth that is less than normal given the infant's potential for growth according to the fetus's gender and racial. It is typically the results of many negative influences on the fetus or inherent diminished development potential.
Aim of the study: To detect the association of fetal adrenal gland volume with restricted late fetal growth.
Methods: This was a case-control study; the study involving 120 pregnant females were eligible for this study and divided into two cohort; 55 eligible pregnant females with fetal growth restriction and 55 women with healthy normal pregnancies within similar gestational age, not having any additional medical disorders or obstetric complication, delivered at term. The study was conducted in Fayoum University Hospital.
Results: Our study compared between IUGR group and healthy control pregnancies regarding the adrenal gland volume (AGV) and medulla width. AGV was significantly higher among fetuses with IUGR as compared with normal estimated fetal weight (EFW) for gestational age in both groups respectively. Medulla width was significantly larger in IUGR fetus compared to healthy controls in both groups respectively.
Conclusions: Our study concluded that the fetal AG sizes of the fetuses diagnosed with IUGR showed changes that we had seen. These changes were linked to poor fetal programming, which resulted in long-term postnatal poor health outcomes.
Keywords: Growth Restricted Fetuses - Fetal Adrenal Gland – Ultrasound assessment – perinatal outcomes – Fetal development.

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