title: Comparison of menstrual history and basal body temperature with early fetal growth by ultrasound in diabetic pregnancy.
abstract: The time of ovulation and conception of 24 insulin-dependent (Type I) diabetic women was estimated by monitoring the basal body temperature (BBT). The mean (+/- SD) duration of the menstrual cycle was 28 (+/- 2) days. Conception occurred, on the average, on the 18th day of the cycle. The fetal crown-rump length was measured by ultrasound scan every 2 weeks between 6 and 14 weeks of pregnancy. When menstrual history was used for dating, there was an apparent early fetal growth delay by a mean of 4 days. When the dates were corrected by BBT, the fetal growth was identical with the standard mean crown-rump length diagram by Robinson & Fleming. The findings of our study suggest that early fetal growth delay reported by Pedersen & Mølsted-Pedersen does not exist in diabetic pregnancy. The small fetuses observed could be explained by an error in the gestational age.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hieta-Heikurainen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Teramo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal