https://imcjms.com/public Ibrahim Medical College Journal of Medical Science https://imcjms.com/public/registration/journal_full_text/131 Sun, 06 Nov 2016 13:42:58 +0000 Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2009; 3(1): 13-16 Keywords: Homocysteine, intrauterine growth restriction, low birth weight, pregnancy. Address for Correspondence: Dr. Farzana Shirin, Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Khwaja Yunus Ali Medical College, Sirajganj   Although hyperhomocysteinemia may be a sequel to B-vitamin deficiency, it could be due to other causes as well. Unilateral hyperhomocysteinemia with normal vitamin B12 and folic acid status tends to cause IUGR by placental insufficiency whereas hyperhomocysteinemia following B12 and folic acid deficiency appears to be associated with IUGR like a bi-directional saw. Irrespective of B-vitamin status, it is claimed that hyperhomocysteinemia can be treated successfully by B12 and folate supplementation during pregnancy, thereby preventing many cases of IUGR. With this end in view, the present study was designed to evaluate the maternal homocysteine status with respect to neonatal size in Bangladeshi pregnant women. Materials and Methods The present study was conducted in the Dept. of Biochemistry, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from July 2006 to June 2007. A total of 80 pregnant women in the 3rd trimester were included in the study as subjects. Using ultrasonogram, 50 were included as controls having an appropriate for gestational age (AGA) while 30 were cases of IUGR. The pregnant women suffering from diabetes, malnutrition, eclampsia and preclampsia, hepatic disorder, chronic renal disease, hypothyroidism, chronic illness and the patients taking folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation were excluded from the study. At 3rd trimester, maternal serum Hcy was estimated by fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) method by Abott Ax SYM system analyzer.5 At delivery anthropometric measurements such as weight, height and occipital frontal circumference (OFC) were taken from all newborns. Age, body weight and height of the mothers were also recorded. Statistical analyses – The data were analyzed by using SPSS. Unpaired ‘t’ test was done to see the significance between the groups (cases vs. control). Pearson correlation coefficient test was done to see the correlation of serum Hcy concentration with the anthropometric measurements (weight, length and OFC) of newborns at birth. OR (95% CI) was calculated to see the association of maternal serum Hcy concentration with birth weight, birth length and birth OFC of newborn. Results The comparison of characteristics of cases and control groups are shown in Table 1. Both the groups were matched for age, weight and height though they differed in Hcy level. Hcy level was significantly higher in the cases. Table-1: Comparison between case (pregnant with IUGR: n=30) and control (n=50). Case mean ± SD Age (y) 24.88 ± 4.18 56.67 ± 3.11 Height (cm) 150.04 ± 3.74 19.36 ± 7.32         Variables Babies born to controls (n=50) p mean ± SD 2.02 ± 0.22 - 5.75 Height (cm) 48.05 ± 1.44 .000 32.98 ± 1.06 - 9.23 Weight (kg) 3.25 ± 0.42 .000 student’s t-test Table-3: a) Correlations of maternal Hcy with weight, length and OFC of newborn; b) Odds ratio (OR) of Hcy for the same anthropometric variables (n=80). a b Weight 5.23 (1.92-14.23) -.563, <0.01 OFC 3.04 (1.15-8.04) r – correlation coefficient, CI – confidence interval       1.   Blanc A and Wardlaw T. Monitoring low birth weight; an evaluation of international estimates and updated estimation procedure. WHO Bulletin 2005; 83: 178-185. 3.   Sharma VK. Blood lipids in preeclamsia and intrauterine growth restriction. 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