Comparison of fetal maturity evaluation with ultrasonic biparietal diameter and amniotic fluid lecithin-sphingomyelin ratio.
Fetal head biparietal (BP) measurements by ultrasonic techniques and amniotic fluid lecithin-sphingomyelin (L/S) ratios were simultaneously determined (within 2 days) on 84 occasions in 72 women. Using the criteria for maturity of an L/S ratio of 2.0 or more or a BP measurement of 9.0 cm or more, there was agreement between these test results in 66.7% of the cases. The BP incorrectly predicted the L/S ratio 33.3% of the time, with a false positive rate of 27.3% and a false negative rate of 6.0%. If an L/S ratio of 1.5 were used as the critical determinant, the BP false positive rate remained high (9.5%). A high false negative error (21.4%) occurred if a BP value of 9.3 cm was used. These results suggest that ultrasonic BP measurements should not be used as the only criteria of fetal maturity in the management of high-risk pregnancies.
D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D006257:Head / Q000196:embryology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000032:analysis*; D010925:Placental Function Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000175:diagnosis; D012306:Risk; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000032:analysis*; D014463:Ultrasonography
D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D013109:Sphingomyelins