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Glossary of Terms

Small for gestational age (SGA)
Children who are below the 10th percentile (smaller than 90% of other infants) are considered small for gestational age (SGA). Being small for gestational age has several names, each with a slightly different implication. Some of these:

  • Intrauterine growth retardation
  • Small for dates
  • Dysmature
  • Light for dates

There are many causes of being SGA, and your baby's doctor should search for an explanation. This is important because some problems cause reduced growth in childhood as well. A partial list of factors that can contribute to being SGA are:

  • High blood pressure
  • Cigarette smoking
  • Maternal drug use
  • Maternal malnutrition
  • Low maternal weight gain (< 20 pounds)
  • Mother was also SGA
  • Maternal chronic disease (advanced diabetes, anemia, etc.)
  • Living at high elevations (for example, Denver, CO)
  • Frequent, heavy physical work during pregnancy
  • Maternal age <20 years
  • Racial and ethnic background
  • Multiple fetuses
  • Rubella, cytomegalovirus, and other
  • infections
  • Placental abruption (separation from the uterine wall)
  • fetal chromosome problems

SGA babies have more problems in the newborn period such as low blood sugar and too many red blood cells. SGA babies also have a higher risk than AGA infants for being small throughout life and for having delayed development. The later in pregnancy that the fetus' growth slowed down, the more likely that catch-up growth will occur.
This is Children's Glossary of Medical Terms - and much more. You'll find the basic definitions and, for many medical subjects, a larger medical context written by an experienced Children's pediatrician. All the definitions are in an easy-to-print format.

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Date Last Modified: 08/25/2003 10:29