Evaluation of the maternal serum levels of fetal free dna in pregnant women with intrauterine growth restriction: A prospective study

Objectives: The aim of our study was to determine the effect of free fetal DNA levels in maternal serum in diagnosis of intrauterine growth restriction(IUGR).Material and Methods: In our study, free fetal DNA levels in maternal serum of pregnant women with IUGR and healthy pregnant women free fetal DNA levels in serum were compared. This study was performed with 30 pregnant women with IUGR and 30 third trimester pregnant having no medical problems who has admitted to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic of Gaziantep University Medical Faculty between September 2010 and August 2011. Babies, who were detected as male gender with obstetric ultrasound of 60 pregnants, have been included in the content of the study. In statistical evaluation of data were performed Mann Whitney-U test and Student t test. P value < 0.05 was accepted as significant.Results: The free fetal DNA was found to be higher in the patients with IUGR compared to controls. Doppler parameters were normal in healty group. There were 19 patients in IUGR group that found systolic- diastolic ratio of UA were increased. The patient group, two subgroups were normally seperated from doppler currents and current distorted. This subgroups of free fetal DNA levels between the subgroups with impaired flow doppler to be found to be statistically significant.Conclusion: The patients with IUGR were determined to have higher free fetal DNA levels in maternal serum when clinical signs of disease are present. This result thought to be the responce of placental dysfunction. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether this potential marker can predict the development and etiology of IUGR.