A comparison of fetal abdominal circumference measurements and Doppler ultrasound in the prediction of small-for-dates babies and fetal compromise.
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.
Chambers
S E
SE
Department of Obstetric Ultrasound, Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion, Edinburgh.
Hoskins
P R
PR
Haddad
N G
NG
Johnstone
F D
FD
McDicken
W N
WN
Muir
B B
BB
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