Table 1.

Differences identified in fetal wound healing compared to adult wound healing.

Growth factor	Role in wound healing	Adult wound healing	Fetal wound healing
EGF	Reepithelisation. Stimulate fibroblasts to secrete collagen	Decreased levels mRNA with increasing gestational age [78]
VEGF	Angiogenesis		Remains unclear [9, 82]
PDGF	Fibroplasia. Attract fibroblast to wound area.		Elevated levels but quicker clearance from wounds [77]. Exogenous addition causes fibrosis [79]
FGF	Matrix deposition, reepithelisation, angiogenesis, endothelial, keratinocyte, and fibroblast migration		FGF7 and 10 downregulated [60] FGF2 increased expression [81]
TGF-β1	Neutrophil infiltration, macrophage infiltration, fibroplasia, matrix deposition, scarring/fibrosis angiogenesis	Increased levels, long intracellular signalling. Causes increase in own gene expression	Low levels with increased clearance [8, 70, 71]. No increase in own gene expression [101]
TGF-β2	Neutrophil infiltration, macrophage infiltration, fibroplasia, matrix deposition, scarring/fibrosis angiogenesis		High levels mRNA but not protein [69]
TGF-β3	As above but possibly antiscarring	Delayed expression	Increased levels and quicker and prolonged expression [69, 71]
IGF-I	Matrix deposition, scarring, re-epithelisation	Higher proliferation increased collagen synthesis	Lower proliferation and collagen synthesis [88]