Longitudinal Study of Intra-Uterine Growth Restriction

June 9, 2026 updated by: University of Colorado, Denver

Longitudinal Study of Intra-Uterine Growth Restriction (IUGR)

The investigation will employ a longitudinal approach in which every fetus diagnosed to be SGA (Small for Gestational Age ) will be studied at frequent intervals with sophisticated imaging techniques to assess subtle physiologic changes in the brain, heart, and placenta over time. These findings will be correlated with neurological and cardiovascular function in the newborn and early childhood. This research initiative should yield diagnostic and therapeutic templates that will improve the quality of life of IUGR babies in addition to providing important information that will better inform current diagnostic practices.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The overarching objective is to serially assess changes in the fetal circulation, heart, and brain with sophisticated ultrasound, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), and body composition techniques that will provide clues as to how growth restricted babies will tolerate life outside the uterus. Employing a longitudinal study will allow the investigators to correlate perinatal and postnatal outcomes more comprehensively than previous studies.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
200

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Colorado
      • Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80045
        • Recruiting
        • University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Sharon Hunter, PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Naila Naushad, MBBS
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Jilliam Ellerman
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Diane Gumina, PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Thomas Jansson, MD PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Theresa Powell, PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Lorna Moore, PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Emily Su, MD MSCI
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Emma Peek, BS
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Colleen Julian, PhD
        • Principal Investigator:
          • John Hobbins, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Henry Galan, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Mike Zaretsky, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Shane Reeves, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Bettina Cuneo, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Lisa Howley, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • David Mirsky, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Mariana Meyers, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Jennifer Armstrong-Wells, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Laura Brown, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Miriam Post, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Sean Deoni, MD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 45 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

University of Colorado School of Medicine is a referral center for women carrying fetuses with IUGR. Care providers routinely evaluate more than 300 patients per year at our outreach sites alone whose fetuses have estimated fetal weights below the 10th percentile. Of these, the investigators will initially enroll 200 patients per year between 24 and 36 weeks over a two-year period.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with diagnosed SGA by an ultrasound estimated fetal weight (EFW) of less than the 10th percentile or a fetal abdominal circumference of less than the 5th percentile will be included in the study at the time of their first examination.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients < 18 years of age, and chromosomal anomalies as identified by regular aneuploidy screening.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Case-Control
  • Time Perspectives: Prospective

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Small for Gestational Age Pregancies (controls)
Small for gestational age (SGA) pregnancies that do not develop IUGR will be considered controls. Each subject will have an ultrasound, MRI, maternal blood and cord blood collection, placental analysis, neurological function assessments (infant), and body fat measurements (infant).
Radiation: Ultrasound
With 3-D and 4-D high-resolution color Doppler methods it is possible to map out the placental circulation, fetal circulation, fetal brain, and fetal cardiac function. Investigators will collect these data points prenatally.
Radiation: MRI
Similar to the Ultrasound data, investigators will collect MRI images of the fetal brain and the placenta. MRI will allow investigators to collect more detailed images of both the fetal brain and placenta, and investigators will be utilizing this technique both prenatally and postnatally.
Procedure: Blood collection
The maternal and cord blood will be collected for the processing of plasma and serum. There may be early biomarkers of IUGR in the maternal circulation that investigators can use to better determine the appropriate strategy for clinical management of care. Collection and subsequent analysis of molecular markers in the umbilical cord blood will be used to further confirm physiological dysfunction as detected by ultrasound and MRI techniques.
Procedure: Placental Analysis
Placentas will undergo pathological evaluation for placental function.
Procedure: Measurement of body fat
The baby's body fat will be measured in a special incubator called a PEAPOD or BODPOD when an infant.
Other Names:
  • Peapod
  • Bodpod
Behavioral: Neurological Function Assessment
Neurological development tests including a Bayley exam, Mullen exam, Developmental Profile-3, Child Behavior Checklist, and Pediatric Stroke Outcome Measure (PSOM) will be performed.
Radiation: Pediatric heart ultrasound
Children will have ultrasounds of their hearts during follow-up visits.
IUGR Pregnancies (cases)
Small for gestational age (SGA) pregnancies that do develop IUGR will be considered cases. Each subject will have an ultrasound, MRI, maternal blood and cord blood collection, placental analysis, neurological function assessments (infant), and body fat measurements (infant).
Radiation: Ultrasound
With 3-D and 4-D high-resolution color Doppler methods it is possible to map out the placental circulation, fetal circulation, fetal brain, and fetal cardiac function. Investigators will collect these data points prenatally.
Radiation: MRI
Similar to the Ultrasound data, investigators will collect MRI images of the fetal brain and the placenta. MRI will allow investigators to collect more detailed images of both the fetal brain and placenta, and investigators will be utilizing this technique both prenatally and postnatally.
Procedure: Blood collection
The maternal and cord blood will be collected for the processing of plasma and serum. There may be early biomarkers of IUGR in the maternal circulation that investigators can use to better determine the appropriate strategy for clinical management of care. Collection and subsequent analysis of molecular markers in the umbilical cord blood will be used to further confirm physiological dysfunction as detected by ultrasound and MRI techniques.
Procedure: Placental Analysis
Placentas will undergo pathological evaluation for placental function.
Procedure: Measurement of body fat
The baby's body fat will be measured in a special incubator called a PEAPOD or BODPOD when an infant.
Other Names:
  • Peapod
  • Bodpod
Behavioral: Neurological Function Assessment
Neurological development tests including a Bayley exam, Mullen exam, Developmental Profile-3, Child Behavior Checklist, and Pediatric Stroke Outcome Measure (PSOM) will be performed.
Radiation: Pediatric heart ultrasound
Children will have ultrasounds of their hearts during follow-up visits.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Characterize the sequence of neurological and cardiovascular events defining early and late IUGR pathogenesis, respectively
Time Frame: Every two weeks from the time of IUGR diagnosis or first visit
Using ultrasound and MRI to identify changes in the fetal vasculature, and fetal brain as early and late IUGR progress.
Every two weeks from the time of IUGR diagnosis or first visit

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Correlate in utero adaptations in early and late IUGR, to infant and early childhood neurodevelopment
Time Frame: Baseline (Day 0), 40-44 weeks gestational age (post-birth), 6 months, 1-7 years
Assess neurodevelopment with a series of tests (PSOM, Bayleys III, Mullen's Scale of Early Learning, Developmental Profile-3, Child Behavior Checklist) and correlate neurological in utero findings to neurodevelopment outcomes after birth.
Baseline (Day 0), 40-44 weeks gestational age (post-birth), 6 months, 1-7 years
Correlate in utero adaptations in early and late IUGR, to infant and early childhood cardiovascular outcomes
Time Frame: Baseline (Day 0), 40-44 weeks gestational age (post-birth), 6 months, 1-7 years
Assess cardiovascular health via heart ultrasound after birth
Baseline (Day 0), 40-44 weeks gestational age (post-birth), 6 months, 1-7 years
Correlate in utero adaptations in early and late IUGR, to infant and early childhood metabolic outcomes
Time Frame: Baseline (Day 0), 40-44 weeks gestational age (post-birth), 6 months, 1-7 years
Correlate IUGR severity to metabolic outcomes as assessed by body composition (pea pod and bod pod with a pediatric attachment), anthropometrics, and a diet questionnaire after birth.
Baseline (Day 0), 40-44 weeks gestational age (post-birth), 6 months, 1-7 years
Compare early IUGR, late IUGR and SGA infant and early childhood outcomes
Time Frame: Baseline (Day 0), 40-44 weeks gestational age (post-birth), 6 months, 1-7 years
Using the tests describe above compare the outcomes of each group after birth.
Baseline (Day 0), 40-44 weeks gestational age (post-birth), 6 months, 1-7 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Colorado, Denver

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
The Perelman Family Foundation

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: John Hobbins, MD, University of Colorado, Denver

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 1, 2015

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 2, 2015

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 2, 2015

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 9, 2015

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 11, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 9, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 14-1360

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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