Performance of the INTERGROWTH‐21st and World Health Organization fetal growth charts for the detection of small‐for‐gestational age neonates in Latin America

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the performance of INTERGROWTH‐21st (IG‐21st) and World Health Organization (WHO) fetal growth charts to identify small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) and fetal growth restriction (FGR) neonates, as well as their specific risks for adverse neonatal outcomes.MethodsMulticenter cross‐sectional study including 67 968 live births from 10 maternity units across four Latin American countries. According to each standard, neonates were classified as SGA and FGR (birth weight <10th and less than third centiles, respectively). The relative risk (RR) and diagnostic performance for a low APGAR score and low ponderal index were calculated for each standard.ResultsWHO charts identified more neonates as SGA than IG‐21st (13.9% vs 7%, respectively). Neonates classified as having FGR by both standards had the highest RR for a low APGAR (RR, 5.57 [95% confidence interval (CI), 3.99–7.78]), followed by those who were SGA by both curves (RR, 3.27 [95% CI, 2.52–4.24]), while neonates with SGA identified by WHO alone did not have an additional risk (RR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.55–1.39]). Furthermore, the diagnostic odds ratio for a low APGAR was higher when IG‐21st was used.ConclusionIn a population from Latin America, the WHO charts seem to identify more SGA neonates, but the diagnostic performance of the IG‐21st charts for low APGAR score and low ponderal index is better.