Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 27, 2026
Evaluating the Function of the Foot Core System in the Elderly
Published on: March 11, 2022
Postnatal Foot Length to Determine Gestational Age: A Pilot Study
Lizelle Van Wyk1, Johan Smith2
1Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Tygerberg Hospital, University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town 7505, South Africa lizelle@sun.ac.za.
Insights
Postnatal foot length measurement accurately determines gestational age in South African neonates. This method offers a reliable alternative when antenatal ultrasound is unavailable, improving newborn care.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Biometrics
Background:
- Gestational age is crucial for neonatal management, prognostication, and research.
- Accurate gestational age assessment is often challenging in developing countries due to limited access to antenatal ultrasound.
- Current methods like neonatal scores and last menstrual period are highly inaccurate.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the accuracy of postnatal foot length measurement for determining gestational age.
- To assess the feasibility of using foot length in a South African hospitalized neonatal population.
- To provide a reliable method for gestational age estimation where antenatal diagnostics are scarce.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study was conducted on hospitalized neonates in South Africa.
- Foot length was measured using a plastic Vernier caliper.
- Correlation between foot length and gestational age was analyzed.
Main Results:
- Foot length demonstrated a strong positive correlation with gestational age (r=0.919, p<0.001).
- Intra-observer and inter-observer variability for foot length measurements were low.
- The findings indicate high accuracy in determining gestational age via foot length.
Conclusions:
- Postnatal foot length measurement is a highly accurate method for determining gestational age.
- This technique is a valuable tool for neonatal populations with limited access to antenatal sonar.
- Foot length measurement offers a practical and reliable solution for gestational age assessment in resource-limited settings.
Abstract:
Gestational age is a critical factor in the management, decision-making, prognostication and follow-up of newborn infants. It is also essential for research and epidemiology. In the absence of an early assessment of fetal gestation by abdominal ultrasound, many neonatal units in developing countries determine gestational age by neonatal scores and last menstrual period-both of which are highly inaccurate. The aim of this pilot study was to determine whether postnatal foot length measurement could accurately determine gestational age in a specified South African hospitalized neonatal population. Foot length was measured with a plastic Verniere's caliper. Foot length was shown to correlate well with gestational age (r = 0.919,p < 0.001). Intra-observer and inter-observer variability of foot length measurements was low. Foot length can therefore be used with high accuracy to determine the gestational age in a population where there is poor access to or utilization of antenatal sonar.
