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Customised gravidogram and fetal growth chart in a South African population
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MEDUNSA Satellite Campus Philadelphia Hospital, Dennilton, South Africa. donna@phila.ns.healthlink.org.za
Objective:
To investigate whether gravidograms and fetal growth curves should be customized, i.e. tailor made for a specific ethnic group.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study of 800 pregnant Xhosa women attending antenatal care in the Eastern Cape Province (South Africa). The data measured was used to compare the correlation between the symphysis-fundus height measurement (SFHM) and the sonographic estimate of gestational age (SEGA), as well as the intra-uterine fetal growth curve with existing gravidograms and fetal growth charts.
Results:
There was a good correlation between the SFHM and the SEGA: r = 0.91 (P < 0.0001). The correlation between the SFHM and the sonographic estimate of fetal weight (SEFW) yielded a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.40 (P < 0.0001). The correlation between the SEFW and SEGA resulted in a r = 0.97 (P < 0.0001). The customized gravidogram and fetal growth chart followed the general trend seen in their Caucasian equivalents.
Conclusion:
The comparison of our customized gravidogram and intra-uterine fetal growth curve with similar charts established in Caucasians does not show any significant difference.
