The correlation of maternal uric acid concentration with small-for-gestational-age fetuses in normotensive pregnant women.

AIM Elevated maternal serum uric acid is associated with small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses. We investigated whether uric acid concentrations in normotensive pregnant women are correlated with fetal growth and related to kidney function. METHODS We carried out a case-control study using 40 patients who delivered SGA fetuses identified from the perinatal database and 80 patients who delivered appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) fetuses as the controls at Okayama University Hospital. Blood pressure, serum uric acid and creatinine level were measured in the patients' third trimester. RESULTS Maternal serum uric acid (p = 0.0003) and creatinine (p < 0.0001) concentrations, as well as systolic and diastolic blood pressures (p =0.014 and 0.037, respectively), were significantly increased in the SGA group. There was a strong negative correlation between serum uric acid levels and birth weights (r = -0.59; p = 0.006) and a significant positive correlation between maternal serum uric acid and creatinine levels (r = 0.43; p < 0.05) in cases of severe SGA (<5th percentile). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that uric acid is an independent risk factor for SGA. CONCLUSIONS Increasing maternal uric acid concentrations were associated with slightly impaired kidney function and SGA in normotensive pregnant women.