The incidence of fetal growth retardation: trends over the decade

Introduction. Impaired fetal growth is a risk factor for the development of non-communicable diseases and pathological conditions in adolescents and adults. The incidence of newborn children with growth disorders and fetal malnutrition (GDFM) is a criterion for determining the health of future generations and clarifying the directions of prevention. Objective: to determine the incidence of GDFM in neonates in the city of Ekaterinburg and the Sverdlovsk region (SR) in comparison with national indicators in 2012–2022. Materials and methods. A descriptive epidemiological study of the GDFM prevalence in newborns infants in the Sverdlovsk region (SR) and Ekaterinburg over 2012–2022 was conducted. To calculate the indices, we used Form No. 32 of the Federal Statistical Observation «Information on medical care for pregnant women, women in labour, and maternity hospitals». The incidence in newborns was calculated as the ratio of the number of sick newborns to the number of live births and expressed in promille (‰). Results. The GDFM incidence in Ekaterinburg decreased by 1.83 times (p < 0.001), in SR — by 1.63 times (p = 0.01), in the Russian Federation — by 1.48 times (p = 0.171) in 2012–2022. In Ekaterinburg, the proportion of premature newborns with GDFM increased 2.87 times in 2019 (p = 0.02). This explains the concentration of high-risk pregnant and parturient women in institutions of the third group. Conclusion. The positive trend in the GDFM incidence in newborns in Ekaterinburg, the Sverdlovsk region, and the Russian Federation has been established.