An insufficient growth of the fetus, due, for example, to placental dysfunction that fails to deliver an adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the fetus. It may result in a weight at birth that is inappropriate (i.e., small) for the duration of gestation such as one below the 10th percentile of the growth curve. Severe growth retardation is placed at the 2.3 percentile or below.
See Brain sparing, Carboxyhemoglobin (CoHb), Cerebellun (development), Developmental risks, Failure to thrive, Fetal programming, Hypoglycemia, Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, Nicotine, Oligohydramnios, Placenta, Pre-eclampsia, Preterm infant