Health Care Encyclopedia
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Small for gestational age (SGA)Definition: The term "small for gestational age", or SGA, means a fetus or infant is smaller in size than is expected for the baby's gender, genetic heritage, and gestational age.
Alternative Names: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR); Low birth weight
Information: Ultrasound is used to identify intrauterine growth restriction (a developing fetus that is�smaller-than-normal for its age). The most widely used definition of SGA is birth weight below the 10th percentile. Neonatal growth restriction is a syndrome that includes small size and specific metabolic abnormalities. These abnormalities include hypoglycemia (low blood sugar level), hypothermia (low body temperature), and polycythemia (increased level of red blood cells).
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| Review Date: 8/8/2005
Reviewed By: Sharon Roseanne Thompson, M.D., M.P.H., Clinical Fellow, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Brighan and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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