Abnormal fetal growth: intrauterine growth retardation, small for gestational age, large for gestational age

In recent years there has been mounting evidence that infant births that present outside the range of normal growth patterns may have long-term health consequences in addition to the well-documented, short-term health issues seen in the newborn nursery or neonatal intensive care unit. Although the short-term issues are familiar to most pediatricians, the long-term consequences are elaborated in current literature. This article discusses both ends of the birth weight spectrum: the low (small for gestational age and intrauterine growth restriction) and the high (large for gestational age) ends.