Neurodevelopment of children with fetal growth retardation in women with hypertension disorders

• Published in: Reproductive health of woman (Online) 2024-06 (3), p.28-32
• Main Authors: Posokhova, S.P., Shyroka, A.D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2708-8723; 2708-8731
• DOI: 10.30841/2708-8731.3.2024.306397

The article presents data on the neurodevelopment of children with fetal growth retardation (FGR) who were born from mothers with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. Such children are at increased risk of developing motor, neurological, cognitive and learning disorders, as well as cerebral palsy. Delayed speech development (DSD) is one of the most common long-term consequences of neurodevelopmental disorders in the fetus and, later, in the child. Speech and language delay is a delay in the timely development of sound and speech skills relative to the established average statistical norms depending on age. The objective: to determine the frequency and assess the potential association between the presence of FGR in women with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and the development of a perinatal complication – neurodevelopmental delay in children under 4 years of age (different degrees of DSD). Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of 1295 outpatient pregnancy cards of pregnant women and birth histories performed at the Odesa Regional Perinatal Centre was performed. FGR was diagnosed in 130 (10.03%) cases of singleton pregnancies in women with hypertensive disorders. Additionally, a prospective study and analysis of neurodevelopmental data of children under 3.5 (±3 months) years of age was conducted by questioning parents of children in the selection group for hypertensive disorders. The criteria for the presence of a deviation were the delay in motor adaptation of children relative to age and DSD in different degrees of severity.Results. DSD was found in 43.24% of children in the selection group. Depending on the degree of severity, they were distributed as follows: I degree – 9 (15.48%) children had complete absence of speech at the age of 3 years; II degree – 8 (13.76%) children; III degree – 16 (27.52%) children. The following data were obtained regarding the development of locomotor skills according to age: 18.92% of children had a delay in the development of the skill of fixing the head within the permissible time period; 32.68% had a delay in the skill of pulling up the legs; 8.6% of children over the age of 12 months cannot stand even with an additional fixation point. Thus, the group with neurodevelopmental delay is registered with a pediatric neurologist – 25 (43.24%) children. Conclusions. It has been established that children who were born with fetal growth retardation from mothers with hypertensive disorders are at high risk o