CORRELATION OF FETAL MEASUREMENTS WITH GESTATIONAL AGE IN 144 ABORTED FETUSES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL HOSPITAL-BASED OBSERVATIONAL STUDY.

Abstract

Background: Determination of correct gestational age is fundamental to obstetric care and is important during an autopsy as well as for clinical assessment of the growth of the fetus. Various fetal parameters like fetal anthropometry are used for the calculation of Gestational Age (The present study aimed to study the correlation between fetal anthropometric measurements like Crown-Rump length, Femur length, Head Circumference (HC), Bi-Parietal diameter (BPD) and Abdominal Circumference (AC) and Gestational age to derive regression equations for the same.

Methods: This cross-sectional hospital-based observational study was conducted at Alkharama Hospital, Baghdad; TS involved 144 aborted fetuses without congenital anomalies, aged between 12 to 40 weeks of gestational age. As per the standard protocol, the fetal measurements were documented. Regression equations are derived for the anthropometric measurements.

Results: In the present study, the correlation coefficients of the equation are 0.937, 0.984, 0.982, 0.987, 0.991, and 0.992, respectively, for birth weight, HC, CRL, BPD, FL, and AC. Gestation has a robust positive association with all other indices, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.94 to 0.99, all of which are statistically significant at p<0.001.

Conclusion: All fetal measures exhibit a positive correlation with gestational age. FL (R=0.991) and AC (R=0.992) exhibit the highest correlations with GA.