A preliminary morphometric study of Ghanaian foetal parameters for size and age estimation
Loading...
Files
Date
August, 2016
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Ultrasonographic foetal biometry has proven to be a reliable tool in the correct estimation
of gestational age and assessment of foetal growth. The choice of a reference chart is
critical to the proper assessment of foetal biometry due to observed racial differences.
Therefore this study was designed to establish foetal biometric standards in Ghanaians. A
prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted using a total of 374 pregnant women
with known last menstrual period from the Sunyani Municipal Hospital and the Suntreso
Government Hospital from October 2015 to March 2016. Measurements of crown-rump
length, biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference and femur
length were obtained via transabdominal sonography. Results of the present study provide
for the first time detailed baseline data on foetal biometry in Ghana and show that there is
significant disparity between gestational age estimated by the last menstrual period and
ultrasound. Head circumference was the best parameter in estimating gestational age in
the second and third trimesters of pregnancy with coefficient of determination (R2) of
96.6% and 84.1% respectively. Combinations of head circumference or biparietal
diameter, abdominal circumference and femur length in the third trimester increased the
R2 to 90 or 90.5%. Biparietal diameter was a good predictor of gestational age in the third
trimester than previously reported in the literature suggesting normal cephalic indices in
the present population. Statistically significant differences in foetal biometry exist
between the present population and the American, British and Chinese populations in the
literature. This study provides preliminary baseline data for the estimation of gestational
age and assessment of foetal growth by sonographers and obstetricians.
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Human Anatomy and
Cell Biology
in the
Department of Anatomy, School of medical Sciences, College
of Health Sciences,