Sonographic Assessment of Fetal Weight at Term and its Correlation with Weight at Birth in Pakistani Population

Abstract

Abstract
Objective: To compare sonographic estimated fetal weight with actual birth fetal weight.
Back Ground: Prenatal estimation of fetal weight is very important to predict various pathological and physiological conditions. Ultrasound is the modality of choice to predict fetal weight that's why different formulas are designed to estimate fetal weight. However to what extant these formulas are applicable and accurately estimate fetal weight in our population? An effort is made in the form of this research to solve this
question to some extent.
Methods: The study was designed for the evaluation of the relative accuracy of the sonographically estimated fetal weight at term while comparing with actual birth weight at birth, in healthy Pakistani pregnant ladies. Four hundred normal pregnant females were enrolled in this research voluntarily after written informed consent. The obstetrical sonographic examination was performed at term and followed the patient till caesarian section or prevaginal delivery. Only normal pregnant women with normal pregnancies and normal fetuses were included. Diabetic and hypertensive mothers and fetal chromosomal anomalies,
macrosomic and microsomic fetuses were excluded. Before delivery at term fetal weight was calculated with ultrasound and after birth, the fetal weight was measured with weighing scale.
Result: The average of sonographically estimated fetal weight was 3187.60 g and actual fetal was calculated at birth, mean 3282.32 g. The difference between the means of actual fetal birth weight and estimated weight was 94.72g.
Conclusion: There was a strong correlation between actual birth weight and sonographically estimated fetal weight. But still ultrasound is unable to detect accurate fetal weight rather it estimate fetal weight while having some statistically acceptable variation.