Sildenafil citrate therapy for severe early-onset intrauterine growth restriction

BJOG. 2011 Apr;118(5):624-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2010.02879.x.

Abstract

Sildenafil citrate therapy for severe early-onset intrauterine growth restriction. BJOG 2011;118:624-628. Currently, there is no effective therapy for severe early-onset intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Sildenafil citrate vasodilates the myometrial arteries isolated from women with IUGR-complicated pregnancies. Women were offered Sildenafil (25 mg three times daily until delivery) if their pregnancy was complicated by early-onset IUGR [abdominal circumference (AC)< 5th percentile] and either the gestational age was <25(+0) weeks or an estimate of the fetal weight was <600 g (excluding known fetal anomaly/syndrome and/or planned termination). Sildenafil treatment was associated with increased fetal AC growth [odds ratio, 12.9; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3, 126; compared with institutional Sildenafil-naive early-onset IUGR controls]. Randomised controlled trial data are required to determine whether Sildenafil improves perinatal outcomes for early-onset IUGR-complicated pregnancies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Blood Flow Velocity / drug effects
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Fetal Growth Retardation / drug therapy*
  • Fetal Growth Retardation / mortality
  • Fetal Growth Retardation / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Perinatal Mortality
  • Piperazines / therapeutic use*
  • Placenta / blood supply
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Outcome
  • Purines / therapeutic use
  • Sildenafil Citrate
  • Sulfones / therapeutic use*
  • Uterus / blood supply
  • Vasodilator Agents / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Piperazines
  • Purines
  • Sulfones
  • Vasodilator Agents
  • Sildenafil Citrate