A team of Dutch researchers have recently identified several lifestyle habits for expectant women that are associated with a greater likelihood of restricted fetal growth, including high blood pressure, high hematocrit levels and smoking. For the study, researchers from the Erasmus Medical Center followed more than 1,600 mothers from the first trimester until two years after the birth of the child. The team found that higher diastolic blood pressure and higher hematocrit levels were associated with a shorter crown to rump length of a child. They also discovered that mothers who smoked and did not use folic acid supplements developed children with shorter fetal lengths. Moreover, a small size during the first trimester was associated with a higher risk of complications later in the pregnancy.

"For women who are planning to become pregnant, it seems important to optimize their lifestyle habits before they become pregnant," said study senior author Vincent Jaddoe. "From a healthcare perspective, we need to consider preconception care to help women to optimize their lifestyle habits before they become pregnant," she added.