Four placenta-specific imprinted transcripts were also differentially expressed; ADAM23 (IUGR mean 0.62 vs control mean 1.25, p = 0.004), GPR1-AS1 (IUGR mean 0.87 vs control mean 1.55, p = 0.022), LIN28B (IUGR mean 1.01 vs control mean 1.36, p = 0.046), and ZHX3 (IUGR mean 0.56 vs control mean 1.16, p = 0.004) all being less abundant in the IUGR population (Additional file 9). This evidence concerns the gene ADAM23 and fetal growth restriction.