ABSTRACT
Fetal measurements, usually of the abdominal circumference, are lower than the 10th percentile for gestational age. Doppler studies are abnormal, with the usual sequence of abnormal Doppler waveforms present first in the uterine, then the umbilical, and then the middle cerebral arteries. This is then followed by abnormal fetal venous Dopplers in the ductus venosus and finally umbilical veins, with antepartum fetal heart rate monitoring demonstrating reduced short-term variability. The presence of fetal growth restriction in the presence of fetal structural abnormalities, markers for chromosomal defects, or polyhydramnios makes the presence of congenital or acquired fetal abnormality likely.
