Concentration of free fatty acids (FFA) in amniotic fluid and maternal and cord serum in cases of intrauterine growth retardation.

There were no efficacious methods of diagnosing the syndrome of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) before birth. Only about 50% of cases with this syndrome can be recognized by clinical examinations. The aim of our investigations was an attempt to determine free fatty acid level (FFA) in amniotic fluid as a biochemical test in prenatal diagnosis. The investigations were carried out in 49 pregnant women and their newborns in whom IUGR was diagnosed clinically. The control group consisted of 30 pregnants who had an uneventful pregnancy and normal labor. Samples of amniotic fluid were taken in the first stage of parturition (dilatation of cervical os +/- 4-5 cm) by vaginal amniocentesis or amniotomy during cesarean section. The concentration of FFA in samples of amniotic fluid and serum were determined by Ducombe's method. It was found that during pregnancy complicated by IUGR, the free fatty acid concentration in amniotic fluid was almost three times higher than in normal pregnancy (0.355 mmol/l and 0.125 mmol/l) respectively. These differences are statistically significant (t = 12.58 p less than 0.001). Thus, determination of FFA can be used as a biochemical test in prenatal diagnosis of IUGR.