Correlation between intrapartum fundal height and birth weight

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Fetal Medicine
• Clinical Biometry

Background:

• Accurate estimation of fetal weight is crucial for optimal pregnancy management.
• Ultrasonography is the standard method for assessing fetal growth, but accessibility can be limited.
• Symphysiofundal height (SFH) measurement is a readily available clinical tool.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the correlation between symphysiofundal height (SFH) and actual birth weight.
• To develop and assess the utility of SFH-derived birth weight centiles.
• To determine if SFH can serve as a viable alternative to ultrasonography for birth weight estimation.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cross-sectional study involving 2646 parturients.
• Measurement of symphysiofundal height (SFH) and correlation with recorded birth weights.
• Development of a second-order polynomial regression model (y = +/- 258.1 - 62.9x - 3.8x²).

Main Results:

• The tightest correlation between SFH and birth weight (2500-3999 g) occurred when SFH measured 33-39 cm.
• The developed model demonstrated a good fit (R² = 0.82) with an overall standard deviation of 275 g.
• Birth weight centiles derived from SFH measurements were calculated.

Conclusions:

• SFH measurements provide a reliable estimation of birth weight within the 2500-3999 g range.
• SFH-derived birth weight centiles are a practical and useful alternative to ultrasonography, especially in resource-limited settings.
• This method supports effective fetal growth monitoring using simple clinical measurements.