Evaluation of HALP Score in Distinction Between FGR and SGA

Overview

Fetal Growth Restriction (FGR) and Small for Gestational Age (SGA) are two conditions that can happen when a baby doesn't grow as much as expected during pregnancy. FGR is caused by things like problems with the mother's nutrition and inflammation, while SGA is usually because of genetic and other factors. It's important to know if a baby has FGR or SGA because FGR babies can have more health problems and are at risk of dying before or shortly after birth. SGA babies are usually healthy, but they might have more health problems later in life. Doctors can use a simple blood test called the HALP score to see if a mother has problems with her nutrition and inflammation. However, it hasn't been studied for FGR and SGA. We want to study if the HALP score can help us tell if a baby has FGR or SGA by looking at the mother's blood test results.

Fetal Growth Restriction (FGR) and Small for Gestational Age (SGA) are two conditions that are commonly encountered in obstetrics. FGR is defined as a condition in which the fetus is smaller than expected for its gestational age, and its pathophysiology is thought to be influenced by both maternal inflammation and nutritional status. On the other hand, SGA is a condition in which the fetus is smaller than expected, but its pathophysiology is primarily attributed to constitutional and genetic factors. It is important to distinguish between FGR and SGA because FGR is associated with a higher risk of adverse fetal and neonatal outcomes, including morbidity and mortality. In contrast, SGA infants are generally healthy, but may have a higher risk of long-term health problems, such as hypertension and diabetes. The HALP score is a simple and easily calculated index that is based on the levels of hemoglobin, lymphocytes, albumin, and platelets. It has been shown to be informative about the nutritional and inflammatory status in various medical fields. However, its use in obstetrics is limited and its potential to distinguish between FGR and SGA has not been studied. Given that maternal inflammation and nutritional status are also involved in the pathophysiology of FGR, it is possible that the HALP score could be useful in distinguishing between FGR and SGA. Therefore, we plan to investigate the potential of the HALP score in differentiating between these two conditions.