Mid-second Trimester Measurement of Nasal Bone Length in the Indian Population

The purpose of this study was to establish an Indian reference for normal fetal nasal bone length at 16-26 weeks of gestation.

The fetal nasal bone was measured by ultrasound in 2,962 pregnant women at 16-26 weeks of gestation from 2004 to 2009 by a single operator, who performed three measurements for each woman when the fetus was in the midsagittal plane and the nasal bone was between a 45 and 135° angle to the ultrasound beam. All neonates were examined after delivery to confirm the absence of congenital abnormalities.

The median nasal bone length increased with gestational age from 3.3 mm at 16 weeks to 6.65 mm at 26 weeks in a linear relationship. The fifth percentile nasal bone lengths were 2.37, 2.4, 2.8, 3.5, 3.6, 3.9, 4.3, 4.6, 4.68, 4.54, and 4.91 mm at 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 weeks, respectively.

We have established the nasal bone length in South Indian fetuses at 16-26 weeks of gestation and there is progressive increase in the fifth percentile of nasal bone length with advancing gestational age. Hence, gestational age should be considered while defining hypoplasia of the nasal bone.