Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Oct 9;28(1):17-23.
doi: 10.4103/JMU.JMU_127_18. eCollection 2020 Jan-Mar.

Fetal Gestational Age Determination using Ultrasound Placental Thickness

Angus Sunday Azagidi  1 , Bolanle Olubunmi Ibitoye  1 , Olufemiwa Niyi Makinde  2 , Bukunmi Michael Idowu  1 , Adeniyi Sunday Aderibigbe  1
Affiliations

Fetal Gestational Age Determination using Ultrasound Placental Thickness

Angus Sunday Azagidi et al. J Med Ultrasound. .

Abstract

Background: The purposes of this study are to sonographically measure the placental thickness (PT) in normal fetuses; to correlate it with gestational age (GA), fetal growth parameters, and estimated fetal weight (EFW); and to design a nomogram for the derived PT measurements.

Methods: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study on 400 women with apparently normal pregnancy within the age range of 18-45 years recruited from the Antenatal Clinic of our hospital. The fetal GA was estimated by the last menstrual period (LMP). The fetal growth parameters were determined using standard sonographic methods while the PT was measured at the level of the umbilical cord insertion site. PT was then correlated with GA, fetal growth parameters, and the EFW.

Results: The mean PT (mean ± standard deviation) in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd trimesters and the whole duration of pregnancy were 14.5 ± 0.3 mm, 24.6 ± 3.9 mm, 34.8 ± 2.8 mm, and 29.6 ± 7.1 mm, respectively. PT ranged from 13.5 ± 1.9 mm at 11 weeks to 39.1 ± 0.6 mm at 40 weeks. PT (in mm) had a linear relationship and a statistically significant positive correlation with GA (in weeks) in all the trimesters, with most significant correlation recorded in the 2nd trimester (r = 0.79). There was also a statistically significant positive correlation between PT and the fetal growth parameters (biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, femur length and crown-rump length), and EFW. PT nomogram was developed from 11 to 40 weeks of gestation using a scatter plot with 95% confidence interval for our locality.

Conclusion: PT has a linear relationship with GA, fetal growth parameters, and EFW and it can be used along with other fetal growth parameters to increase the accuracy for predicting GA in normal pregnancies, especially when the subject is not sure of or does not know her LMP.

Keywords: Fetal parameters; gestational age; last menstrual period; placental thickness; sonography.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Grey scale obstetrics sonogram showing the measurement of fundally located placental thickness (in between calipers) measured from the chorionic plate to the basal plate at the level of umbilical cord insertion site (linear echoes emanating at right angles from the placental surface)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Duplex obstetric sonogram showing the measurement of placental thickness (in between calipers) measured from the chorionic plate to the basal plate at the level of umbilical cord insertion site (color-filled tubular structures at right angles to the chorionic plate)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Scatterplot depicting relationship between the placental thickness (mean and 95% confidence interval) and gestation age in weeks
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Sadler TW. Longman's Medical Embryology. 9th ed. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2004. pp. 117–48.
    1. Spirt BA, Gordon LP. Sonography of the placenta. In: Fleischer AC, Manning FA, Jeanty P, Romero R, editors. Sonography in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Principles and Practice. New York: Appleton and Lange; 1996. pp. 173–202.
    1. Callen PW, editor . Ultrasonography in Obstetrics and Gynecology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders; 2000. pp. 105–45.
    1. Kaushal L, Patil A, Kocherla K. Evaluation of placental thickness as a sonological indicator for estimation of gestational age of foetus in normal singleton pregnancy. Int J Res Med Sci. 2015;3:1213–8.
    1. Schwärzler P, Bland JM, Holden D, Campbell S, Ville Y. Sex-specific antenatal reference growth charts for uncomplicated singleton pregnancies at 15-40 weeks of gestation. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2004;23:23–9. - PubMed