Background: There is no umbrella review on maternal risk factors associated with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Therefore, we assessed an umbrella review on maternal risk factors during pregnancy for IUGR.
Methods: We searched three prominent international databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. We focused on meta-analyses that examined maternal factors during pregnancy associated with IUGR. The comparison was based on the odds ratio (OR) or related risk ratios reported in the included studies, heterogeneity I 2, 95% prediction interval, small-study effects, excess significance biases, and sensitive analysis.
Results: Four risk factors for IUGR include placenta previa with an OR of 1.19, placenta abruption with an OR of 2.06, epilepsy in pregnancy with an OR of 1.28, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with an OR of 1.53 were categorized as having suggestive evidence (Class III). Celiac disease with an OR of 2.48 and mullerian anomaly with an OR of 1.93 were considered risk factors with weak evidence (Class IV).
Conclusion: Four risk factors for IUGR including placenta previa, placenta abruption, epilepsy in pregnancy, and HCV infection were categorized as having suggestive evidence (Class III). Celiac disease and Mullerian anomaly were considered risk factors with weak evidence (Class IV).
Keywords: intrauterine growth retardation; pregnancy; risk factor; umbrella review.
© 2025 the author(s), published by De Gruyter.