National curves of foetal growth in singleton foetuses of Greek origin

Area of Science:

• Prenatal diagnostics
• Fetal development research
• Medical biometry

Background:

• Fetal growth monitoring is vital for prenatal care and postnatal outcomes.
• Accurate fetal biometric data is essential for assessing growth trajectories.
• Existing reference ranges may not accurately reflect diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish reference ranges for fetal biometric parameters in a Greek population.
• To compare these new ranges with existing international models.
• To evaluate the accuracy and applicability of current fetal growth charts.

Main Methods:

• Utilized measurements from 2400 Greek fetuses (1200 for construction, 1200 for validation).
• Constructed normal curves for biparietal diameter (BPD), occipitofrontal diameter (OFD), head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC), and femoral length (FL) using quadratic equations.
• Validated the model using standardized residuals (z-scores) and compared them against previously published models.

Main Results:

• Simple quadratic equations accurately described most fetal biometric parameters (R² > 0.96).
• Significant differences were observed in z-scores when comparing the new Greek models to existing international models.
• Existing charts, including INTERGROWTH-21st, showed discrepancies, with up to 10% of fetuses misclassified for femoral length (FL) and head circumference (HC).

Conclusions:

• Presents the first national fetal biometric references for the Greek population.
• Highlights the potential for misclassification of fetal growth status when using non-local reference charts.
• Emphasizes the need for population-specific fetal growth monitoring tools.