Final answer:
In asymmetric IUGR, infants can have potential for normal postnatal growth and development, as head growth and brain development might be less affected, unlike symmetric IUGR that occurs early and affects the fetus proportionally. Nurses should recognize the differences between SGA and IUGR in terms of timing and growth patterns.
Step-by-step explanation:
When discussing small for gestational age (SGA) infants and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), nurses must understand certain key facts. IUGR refers to abnormally slow growth of a fetus, which can be attributed to issues related to the mother, fetus, or placenta, with placental insufficiency being a major cause. This condition may lead either to symmetric IUGR, where the decrease in size is proportional across the body, likely due to early disruptions in development, or to asymmetric IUGR, where the head and length may be more preserved compared to the abdominal growth.
B. Infants with asymmetric IUGR retain the potential for normal growth and development postnatally, especially if the cause of the growth restriction can be mitigated after birth. This is because the head and length growth are less affected, thus the brain development has a better chance of being normal. A. Incorrect, as asymmetric IUGR is typically characterized by more preservation of head and length growth and occurs later during the pregnancy when the fetus prioritizes blood flow to the brain and heart rather than the body. D. Contradictory, as symmetric IUGR is more associated with issues that arise in early development, resulting in a proportionally small fetus throughout gestation. C. This option is not entirely correct because in asymmetric IUGR, the length and head circumference may not be 'somewhat less than SGA' but rather more likely to be closer to normal for gestational age.