Clinical value of B-type natriuretic peptide levels in umbilical cord blood in fetal growth restriction and normal pregnancy
Seurko K.I., Timokhina E.V., Ignatko I.V., Sarakhova D.Kh., Titov V.A., Seurko K.I., Saykina A.V., Kardanova M.A.
Objective: To evaluate B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in fetal umbilical cord blood as a potential biomarker of fetal status in normal pregnancies and in pregnancies with early- and late-onset fetal growth restriction (FGR). Additionally, we analyzed perinatal outcomes in newborns with FGR compared to those with normal growth and weight indicators.
Materials and methods: A prospective study was conducted involving 39 pregnant women with early- and late-onset FGR (study group) and 30 pregnant women with uncomplicated pregnancies (control group), matched for gestational age. Umbilical cord blood samples were collected at the time of birth. The study group was divided into three subgroups: subgroup IA comprised 10 patients with FGR at term (37–40 weeks); subgroup IB included 15 patients with early FGR (<32 weeks); and subgroup IC included 14 patients with late-onset FGR (32–37 weeks).
Results: The mean serum brain BNP level was significantly higher in the umbilical cord blood of newborns with FGR across all study groups than in the control group. In subgroup IA, the mean was 1161 [537; 1635] pg/ml versus 551 [457; 781] pg/ml; in subgroup IB, it was 13 570 [11 773; 17 979] pg/ml versus 1699 [1396; 2377] pg/ml (p<0.05); and in subgroup IC, it was 1551 [1283; 2231] pg/ml versus 1344 [892; 1496] pg/ml (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Mean brain BNP levels in fetal umbilical cord blood were elevated in newborns with FGR compared to those with normal fetal growth. Furthermore, brain BNP levels are significantly higher in cases of early-onset FGR than in those of late-onset FGR.
Authors' contributions: Ignatko I.V., Seurko K.I., Timokhina E.V. – conception and design of the study; Seurko K.I., Titov V.A., Sarakhova D.Kh. – data collection and analysis; Seurko K.I., Saykina A.V., Kardanova M.A. – statistical analysis; Seurko K.I., Seurko K.I., Titov V.A. – drafting of the manuscript; Ignatko I.V., Timokhina E.V., Sarakhova D.Kh. – editing of the manuscript.
Conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Funding: There was no funding for this study.
Ethical Approval: The study was reviewed and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the I.M. Sechenov First MSMU, Ministry of Health of Russia (Sechenov University) (Ref. No: 28-24 of November 2025).
Patient Consent for Publication: All patients provided informed consent for the publication of their data.
Authors' Data Sharing Statement: The data supporting the findings of this study are available upon request from the corresponding author after approval from the principal investigator.
For citation: Seurko K.I., Timokhina E.V., Ignatko I.V., Sarakhova D.Kh., Titov V.A., Seurko K.I., Saykina A.V., Kardanova M.A. Clinical value of B-type natriuretic peptide levels in umbilical cord blood in
fetal growth restriction and normal pregnancy.
Akusherstvo i Ginekologiya/Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2026; (1): 28-38 (in Russian)
https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2025.249
Keywords
pregnancy
brain B-type natriuretic peptide
umbilical cord blood
fetal growth restriction
diastolic dysfunction
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Received 09.09.2025
Accepted 28.10.2025
About the Authors
Kseniya I. Seurko, PhD student at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology of the Institute of Clinical Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia (Sechenov University), 119048, Russia, Moscow, Trubetskaya str., 8 build. 2; Obstetrician-Gynecologist, S.S. Yudin City Clinical Hospital, 115446, Russia, Moscow, Kolomensky Passage, 4 build. 2, +7(915)178-42-13, kseurko@yandex.ru, https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3287-9254Elena V. Timokhina, Dr. Med. Sci., Professor at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology of the Institute of Clinical Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia (Sechenov University), 119048, Russia, Moscow, Trubetskaya str., 8 build. 2, +7(916)607-45-34, timokhina_e_v@staff.sechenov.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6628-0023
Irina V. Ignatko, Dr. Med. Sci., Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology of the Institute of Clinical Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia (Sechenov University), 119048, Russia, Moscow, Trubetskaya str., 8 build. 2, +7(910)461-73-02, ignatko_i_v@staff.sechenov.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9945-3848
Dzhamilya Kh. Sarakhova, PhD, Deputy Chief Physician for Obstetric and Gynecological Care, S.S. Yudin City Clinical Hospital, 115446, Russia, Moscow, Kolomensky Passage, 4 build. 2, +7(905)708-84-66, SarakhovaDK@zdrav.mos.ru, https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0531-0899
Vladimir A. Titov, Head of the Department of Resuscitation and Intensive Care for Newborns and Premature Infants S.S. Yudin City Clinical Hospital, 115446, Russia, Moscow, Kolomensky Passage, 4 build. 2, +7(926)223-97-02, titoww@gmail.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2105-9709
Kirill I. Seurko, PhD, Teaching Assistant at the Department of Hospital Surgery of the Institute of Clinical Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia (Sechenov University), 119048, Russia, Moscow, Trubetskaya str., 8 build. 2, +7(916)628-92-13, kirill.seurko@yandex.ru,
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5150-8793
Alexandra V. Saykina, student at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology of the Institute of Clinical Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia (Sechenov University), 119048, Russia, Moscow, Trubetskaya str., 8 build. 2, +7(926)852-06-27, a_saykina@mail.ru,
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5743-566X
Madina A. Kardanova, PhD, Associate Professor at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology of the Institute of Clinical Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia (Sechenov University), 119048, Russia, Moscow, Trubetskaya str., 8 build., +7(926)383-84-80,
kardanova_m_a@staff.sechenov.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4315-0717
Corresponding author: Kseniya I. Seurko, kseurko@yandex.ru
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