title: A comparison of fetal abdominal circumference measurements and Doppler ultrasound in the prediction of small-for-dates babies and fetal compromise.
abstract: A total of 145 pregnancies clinically suspected of being small-for-dates was studied at presentation with a single measurement of the fetal abdominal circumference and Doppler studies of the umbilical and arcuate arteries. The abdominal circumference measurement gave the best prediction of the small-for-gestational-age (SGA) baby (sensitivity 73%, umbilical artery sensitivity 47%, arcuate artery sensitivity 29%). The umbilical artery measurement gave the best prediction of antenatal fetal compromise; the performance of the tests was compared for a fixed sensitivity of 100% (i.e. all cases of antenatal compromise would be detected), the specificity of the umbilical artery measurement was 77%, abdominal circumference measurement 12% and arcuate artery measurement 2%. In our data, umbilical artery studies were not a sensitive predictor of the SGA baby but they did give an accurate prediction of the potentially compromised SGA fetus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetric Ultrasound, Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion, Edinburgh.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Hoskins
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Johnstone
authors.forename: W N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: McDicken
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Muir
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005333:Fetus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014469:Umbilical Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology