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Updated: Jun 7, 2026
High Frequency Ultrasound for the Analysis of Fetal and Placental Development In Vivo
Published on: November 8, 2018
Relationship between in utero sonographic evaluation and subcutaneous plicometry after birth in infants with
Nadia Liotto1, Tatjana Radaelli, Anna Orsi
1NICU, Fondazione IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena, University Department of Mother and Infant Sciences, University of Milan, Italy. nadia.liotto@unimi.it
Insights
Fetal ultrasound measurements of subcutaneous tissue correlate with neonatal skinfold assessments in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). This suggests sonography may offer valuable insights into IUGR.
Area of Science:
- Perinatology
- Neonatology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is linked to significant prenatal and postnatal complications.
- Accurate assessment of fetal growth is crucial for managing IUGR.
- Evaluating fetal measurements against neonatal outcomes aids in refining diagnostic tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the agreement between fetal ultrasonographic subcutaneous tissue measurements and neonatal skinfold thickness in newborns with IUGR.
- To determine the concordance of specific measurement methods (Bernstein's, Galan's) with neonatal assessments.
Main Methods:
- An exploratory study involving 13 intrauterine growth restricted newborns.
- Fetal ultrasonographic measurements of subcutaneous tissue were taken within 4 hours pre-delivery.
- Neonatal skinfold thicknesses were measured on the first day of life.
- Concordance was analyzed using Lin's correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman methods.
Main Results:
- Significant correlations were found between prenatal and neonatal measurements (arm: 0.60, subscapular: 0.72, abdomen: 0.51).
- Bland-Altman analysis indicated moderate agreement between fetal sonographic and neonatal skinfold assessments.
- These findings suggest consistency between in-utero and post-natal tissue measurements.
Conclusions:
- Fetal sonographic measurements of subcutaneous tissue show moderate agreement with neonatal skinfold assessments in IUGR.
- These prenatal measurements may serve as supplementary indicators for diagnosing and monitoring intrauterine growth restriction.
- Further research can validate these findings for clinical application.
Background:
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with several medical complications before and after delivery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concordance between the fetal ultrasonographic measurement of subcutaneous tissue thicknesses and the skinfold thicknesses assessment in intrauterine growth restricted newborns.
Methods:
We designed an exploratory study. Fetal ultrasonographic measurement of subcutaneous tissue thicknesses, according to Bernstein's and Galan's method, and neonatal skinfold thicknesses were evaluated in 13 intrauterine growth restricted newborns within 4 hours before delivery and on the first day of life, respectively. Concordance between fetal and neonatal measurements was assessed using the Lin's correlation coefficient and the Bland-Altman method.
Results:
The data obtained by the measurements of neonatal skinfold thicknesses was significantly correlated with the prenatal measurements (Lin's coefficients, arm: 0.60; subscapular: 0.72; abdomen: 0.51). Bland-Altman analysis showed moderate agreement between the fetal ultrasonographic measurement of subcutaneous tissue thicknesses and the neonatal skinfold thicknesses assessment.
Conclusions:
The present study provides preliminary evidence that fetal sonographic measurements may represent additional indices of intrauterine growth restriction.
