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Ninety-four high-risk pregnancies were studied weekly in a prospective and longitudinal study. Uterine height, biparietal diameter (BPD), cranial perimeter (CrP) and abdominal perimeter (AbP) were measured. Amniotic fluid volume (AFV) was assessed. Of the sample selected, 58 neonates were appropriate for gestational age and 36 were small-for-date (17 symmetrical and 19 asymmetrical). The sensitivity values in diagnosis of small-for-dates were: 67% for BPD, 42% for CrP, 94% for AbP, 56% for Uterine Height and 28% for AFV. The specificity for the five variables ranged from about 91% to 100%. If we consider symmetrical and asymmetrical retardation separately, the sensitivity values for the former were: 94%, 77%, 100%, 77% and 24% for BPD, CrP, AbP, Uterine Height and AFV respectively. For symmetrical retardation, the sensitivity values were: 43%, 11%, 90%, 37% and 32% for BPD, CrP, AbP, Uterine Height and AFV respectively. The fetal cranial measurements were the only ones to demonstrate a different pattern of evolution in symmetrical and asymmetrical small-for-dates. This is therefore a useful measurement in making a differential diagnosis between both retardations. The earliest diagnoses were made in the symmetrical small-for-date group.

The suction pattern for breast and bottle feeding in two groups of preterm infants is described. The time elapsed between birth and the moment of suction was longer in preterm neonates born at lower gestational ages for both groups studied, breast and bottle fed (figure 1). The evolution of suckling in breastfeeding was analyzed in a composite study (longitudinal and transverse) in a group of 16 neonates starting from 32 weeks of gestation. The velocity of milk extraction during suckling varied with gestational age. It was uniform at lower gestational ages, then it became faster in the first minutes and at the 36th week, it was very similar to that of mature neonates (figure 2 and table I). The evaluation of bottle feeding was performed in a transverse study in 46 preterm neonates which had been exclusively bottle fed during 1 or 2 weeks. All of them had previously been fed using an orogastric tube. Nourishing time was shorter than in breastfeeding; the average duration was 3.7 minutes (table II). The greatest volume was ingested in the first minute, 40% (range between 44 and 25%) (figure 3). The frequency of suction did not change the duration of feeding, but it was found that the efficiency of suction (number of suctions to ingest 1 cc) was significantly lower in the first minute (Anova, p < 0.05) (figure 4).