title: Association between sonographic measurement of fetal head circumference and labor outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between sonographically measured head circumference (HC) and labor outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a retrospective study at a tertiary medical center in Israel, data were reviewed for all term singleton deliveries between July 2007 and December 2012 with HC measurements up to 7days before delivery. HC was compared between women with operative vaginal delivery (OVD) or cesarean delivery for prolonged second stage and those with normal vaginal delivery. The impact of HC above the 75th percentile on pregnancy outcome was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 2351 women, of whom 2045 (87.0%) had a normal vaginal delivery, 259 (11.0%) underwent OVD, and 47 (2.0%) cesarean. Each 10mm increase in HC was associated with increased risk for obstetric intervention because of a prolonged second stage (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-1.46). HC above the 75th percentile was independently associated with increased odds of OVD (aOR 1.77; 95% CI 1.30-2.41), 1-minute Apgar score less than 7 (aOR 2.91; 95% CI 1.50-5.66), and neonatal asphyxia (aOR 2.19; 95% CI 1.02-4.71).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Term HC above the 75th percentile was associated with increased rates of obstetric interventions because of a prolonged second stage and might be associated with neonatal asphyxia.
authors.affiliation: Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Israel. Electronic address: amiraviram@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aviram
authors.affiliation: Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Yariv
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yogev
authors.affiliation: Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bardin
authors.affiliation: Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Liran
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hiersch
authors.affiliation: Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Arnon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wiznitzer
authors.affiliation: Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hadar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000209:etiology; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006257:Head / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007557:Israel; D007748:Labor Stage, Second; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000209:etiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal
keywords: Biometry; Fetal ultrasonography; Head circumference; Labor outcome; Perinatal outcome