It is said that the mother’s uterus is the safest environment for an organism. But some also are affected by some diseases inside the mother’s uterus due to many reasons. Two of these kinds of diseases that affect the fetus in the uterus are IUGR and SGA. So here is some detailed information to know about these diseases and keep the pregnant mother safe and healthy.
IUGR vs SGA
The main difference between the IUGR and SGA is that in the case of IUGR, the baby is malnourished and is not properly developed. In this case, the growth of the fetus in the uterus stops. But in the case of SGA, the growth of the fetus is less than the other fetus of the same gestational age.
The IUGR is Intra Uterine Growth Retardation. This is a medical condition of the fetus inside the mother’s uterus. In this disease, the fetus stops growing; the development or growth of the fetus stops or becomes very slow. The fetus starts to get malnourished. This condition leads to a malnourished baby regardless of size.
The full form of SGA is Small for Gestational Age. This is a medical condition in which the fetus is less developed and small in comparison to another fetus of the same gestational age. In this condition, the growth slows down a little with respect to normal. This leads to a baby of small size. But this does not result in a malnourished baby.
Comparison Table Between IUGR and SGA
| Parameters of Comparison | IUGR | SGA |
| Definition | The growth of the fetus is retarded in the uterus | The size of the fetus is 10% less as compared to another fetus of the same gestational age |
| Appearance | Babies look small and malnourished | Babies are small in size but does not look malnourished |
| Growth in uterus | The rate of growth in the uterus is always less | The growth rate is normal and sometimes a little less than normal |
| Reasons | Due to ay problem or disorder | It may be due to the small size of mother or sometimes due to other problems and disorders |
| Diagnosis | Ultrasound or Doppler’s blood test | Measurement of the fundus to pubic bone and ultrasound |
What is IUGR?
The IUGR is Intra Uterine Growth Retardation. This is a medical condition of the fetus inside the mother’s uterus. In this disease, the fetus stops growing; the development or growth of the fetus stops or becomes very slow. The fetus starts to get malnourished. This condition leads to a malnourished baby regardless of size.
This occurs due to dysfunction of the placenta. The placenta is the connection between the mother and baby. The baby gets the required nutrients from the placenta. The disorder in the flow of nutrients causes IUGR. This disease can also be caused due to an infection in the uterus. The infections like toxoplasma, herps, malaria, rubella, etc., cause IUGR in the fetus. This can be caused if there is more than one fetus in the uterus.
The IUGR condition is diagnosed by ultrasound or Doppler’s blood test. This is also done by measurement of the fundus to the pubic bone. The growth of the fetus stops or is very low in the case of IUGR. This condition can also happen if the mother does not have proper weight during pregnancy, or is anemic, have diabetes, and also other reasons.
What is SGA?
The full form of SGA is Small for Gestational Age. This is a medical condition in which the fetus is less developed and small in comparison to another fetus of the same gestational age. In this condition, the growth slows down a little with respect to normal. This leads to a baby of small size. But this does not result in a malnourished baby.
This condition is diagnosed by measurement of the fundus to pubic bone and ultrasound. This condition is observed in ultrasound then the measurement is done. In this condition, the head, body, and abdomen of the fetus are measured to observe the amount of disorder. This condition occurs due to many reasons. One of these may be IUGR also.
The baby becomes SGA due to many reasons. One of the main reasons is that if the mother smokes, drank, or takes drugs during the pregnancy. This is the main reason observed in the SGA child. Malnutrition or uterus problems may also result in SGA babies. The mother should be taken huge care of as the pregnancy period is a vital period for the health of both mother and baby.
Main Differences Between IUGR and SGA
- In the case of IUGR, the growth of the fetus is retarded in the uterus. On the other hand, in the case of SGA, the size of the fetus is 10% less as compared to another fetus of the same gestational age.
- In the case of IUGR, the babies look small and malnourished. In contrast, in the case of SGA, the babies are small in size but do not look malnourished
- In the case of IUGR, the rate of growth in the uterus is always less in comparison to that in the case of SGA the growth rate is normal and sometimes a little less than normal.
- The reason for the development of IUGR may be due to any problem or disorder. In contrast, the SGA may be caused may be due to the small size of the mother or sometimes due to other problems and disorders.
- The IUGR condition is diagnosed by ultrasound or Doppler’s blood test. On the other hand, the SGA condition is diagnosed by measurement of the fundus to pubic bone and ultrasound.
Conclusion
Diseases are a part of life. In the lifetime of an organism, they face many obstacles and problems. Diseases are some of these types of obstacles people face. Diseases are some of these types of obstacles people face. Most of the diseases are curable due to the blessing of modern medical science.
These are the diseases that affect a child before their birth. These diseases are similar when observed from a nonmedical person. But there are differences between them regarding the causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
References
- https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2001.00205.x
- https://www.nature.com/articles/1601412