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Fetal Growth Restriction pp 171–184Cite as

Clinical Treatment

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Abstract

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) occurs when the fetus does not reach its intrauterine potential for growth and development as a result of compromise in placental function. FGR affects 5–10% of pregnancies and is the second leading cause of perinatal mortality, responsible for approximately 30% of stillbirths and for increasing the frequency of premature births and intrapartum asphyxia. Unfortunately, no effective therapy is currently available to reverse or at least interrupt the progressive course of placental insufficiency. Nutrition in early life and other exogenous factors like vitamin D and omega-3 have been recognized to play a key role in the pathogenesis of and predisposition to diseases, which seem to go on to subsequent generations. Bed rest in FGR has no benefits proven by scientific evidence and is inconvenient to patients and their families. Sildenafil, nitric oxide, and statins have emerged as treatment options to be implemented. Gene therapy with VEGF and nanotechnology may play a major part in the future with more and multicenter studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Discipline of Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Luciano Marcondes Machado Nardozza, Ana Carolina Rabachini Caetano & Ana Cristina Perez Zamarian

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  1. Luciano Marcondes Machado Nardozza
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  2. Ana Carolina Rabachini Caetano
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  3. Ana Cristina Perez Zamarian
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Luciano Marcondes Machado Nardozza

  2. Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Edward Araujo Júnior

  3. University of Rome Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy

    Giuseppe Rizzo

  4. Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Russell Lee Deter

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Nardozza, L.M.M., Caetano, A.C.R., Zamarian, A.C.P. (2019). Clinical Treatment. In: Nardozza, L., Araujo Júnior, E., Rizzo, G., Deter, R. (eds) Fetal Growth Restriction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00051-6_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00051-6_11

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