This is one of the reasons that good nutrition and a healthful diet are so important during pregnancy. Do not attempt to restrict normal weight gain during pregnancy. Research indicates that when calories are restricted to under 1500 calories a day for an extended time, IUGR may result. Kidney disease in a pregnant woman can cause retardation of fetal growth. Women who live at high altitudes are also more likely to have babies that weigh less than those born to women who live at lower altitudes.
Alcoholism can cause intrauterine-growth retardation.
Multiple fetuses may result in smaller fetal growth. Infections in the fetus, such as cytomegalovirus, rubella or other infections, may also restrict fetal growth. However, not every authority accepts maternal anemia as a cause of intrauterine-growth retardation. Abnormalities of the umbilical cord or placenta may cause inhibited growth because the baby has received less nutrition during pregnancy. A woman who has delivered a growth-retarded infant may be more likely to do so again in subsequent pregnancies.