Serial measurements of serum human placental lactogen (hPL) and serial ultrasound examinations in the evaluation of fetal growth

Serial serum hPL measurements and serial ultrasound fetometry were compared in the evaluation of fetal growth by relating these two parameters to size at birth and to clinical factors known to influence size at birth. The data were from a prospective study of 1000 consecutive pregnant women considered to be at risk for fetal growth retardation with retrospective analysis. Serum hPL was measured by radioimmunoassay and fetal weight estimated by ultrasound every 3 weeks during the last trimester. hPL values were expressed as multiples of the median (MoM) and linear regression analysis of the hPL MoM values was carried out for each pregnancy to find the slope of the line (hPL-slope); at least 3 serum hPL values were required. The estimated fetal weight and weight-for-age at birth was expressed in Z-scores. The individual intrauterine growth velocity was calculated by regression analysis and expressed as change in Z-score for 12 weeks. At least two ultrasound measurements over an interval of at least 42 days were used to estimate the fetal growth velocity. In 588 women the file was complete. The main outcome measures were the individual mean hPL, hPL-slope, fetal growth velocity, birth weight deviation, smoking in pregnancy and diagnosis of preeclampsia. A significant correlation was found between the hPL-slope and the intrauterine fetal growth velocity ( r=0.34), and between hPL-slope and birth weight deviation ( r=0.32). Mean hPL was correlated to birth weight deviation ( r=0.27), but only very weakly to intrauterine growth velocity ( r=0.08). hPL-slope and intrauterine growth velocity independently predicted birth weight deviation. Heavy smoking which was stopped before the third trimester was not associated with low intrauterine growth velocity, but with a low hPL-slope. Preeclampsia was associated with a trend towards low and decreasing hPL and with an increasing intrauterine growth velocity and birth weight deviation. In conclusion the rate of change of serial hPL measurements correlated well to intrauterine fetal growth velocity in the third trimester as estimated by ultrasound and to the deviation in birth weight, but hPL seems to have a separate physiological significance, since it did not pick up when smoking was stopped and growth velocity was normalised and it did not at all detect the increased growth associated with preeclampsia.