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. 2017 Mar;17(68):23-29.
doi: 10.15557/JoU.2017.0003. Epub 2017 Mar 31.

Fetal biometric parameters: Reference charts for a non-selected risk population from Uberaba, Brazil

Alberto Borges Peixoto  1   2 , Taciana Mara Rodrigues da Cunha Caldas  1   2 , Fernando Felix Dulgheroff  1 , Wellington P Martins  3 , Edward Araujo Júnior  4
Affiliations

Fetal biometric parameters: Reference charts for a non-selected risk population from Uberaba, Brazil

Alberto Borges Peixoto et al. J Ultrason. 2017 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: To establish reference charts for fetal biometric parameters in a non-selected risk population from Uberaba, Southeast of Brazil.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed among 5656 non-selected risk singleton pregnant women between 14 and 41 weeks of gestation. The ultrasound exams were performed during routine visits of second and third trimesters. Biparietal diameter (BPD) was measured at the level of the thalami and cavum septi pellucidi. Head circumference (HC) was calculated by the following formula: HC = 1.62*(BPD + occipital frontal diameter, OFD). Abdominal circumference (AC) was measured using the following formula: AC = (anteroposterior diameter + transverse abdominal diameter) × 1.57. Femur diaphysis length (FDL) was obtained in the longest axis of femur without including the distal femoral epiphysis. The estimated fetal weight (EFW) was obtained by the Hadlock formula. Polynomial regressions were performed to obtain the best-fit model for each fetal biometric parameter as the function of gestational age (GA).

Results: The mean, standard deviations (SD), minimum and maximum of BPD (cm), HC (cm), AC (cm), FDL (cm) and EFW (g) were 6.9 ± 1.9 (2.3 - 10.5), 24.51 ± 6.61 (9.1 - 36.4), 22.8 ± 7.3 (7.5 - 41.1), 4.9 ± 1.6 (1.2 - 8.1) and 1365 ± 1019 (103 - 4777), respectively. Second-degree polynomial regressions between the evaluated parameters and GA resulted in the following formulas: BPD = -4.044 + 0.540 × GA - 0.0049 × GA2 (R2 = 0.97); HC= -15.420 + 2.024 GA - 0.0199 × GA2 (R2 = 0.98); AC = -9.579 + 1.329 × GA - 0.0055 × GA2 (R2 = 0.97); FDL = -3.778 + 0.416 × GA - 0.0035 × GA2 (R2 = 0.98) and EFW = 916 - 123 × GA + 4.70 × GA2 (R2 = 0.96); respectively.

Conclusion: Reference charts for the fetal biometric parameters in a non-selected risk population from Uberaba, Southeast of Brazil, were established.

Keywords: abdominal circumference; biparietal diameter; estimated fetal weight; femur diaphysis length; reference charts.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors do not report any financial or personal links with other persons or organizations, which might negatively affect the contents of this publication and/or claim authorship rights to this publication.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Scatterplots for the biparietal diameter (A), head circumference (B), abdominal circumference (C), femur diaphysis length (D) and estimated fetal weight (E) measurements as function of gestational age
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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