Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Fetal Biometry in the Israeli Population: New Reference Charts
Insights
New Israeli fetal biometry charts were developed for accurate diagnosis. These charts, based on over 79,000 fetuses, are recommended for routine obstetric practice to improve fetal growth assessment.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Fetal Medicine
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Accurate fetal biometry is crucial for diagnosis.
- Current reliance on US-based charts is suboptimal for the Israeli population.
- Local reference charts are needed for improved accuracy in Israel.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create new reference charts for fetal biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC), and femur length (FL).
- To cover gestational ages from 14 to 42 weeks.
- To utilize data from a large, diverse Israeli population.
Main Methods:
- Pooled data from a medical center and community ultrasound unit in Israel.
- Calculated weekly means and standard errors for biometric measurements.
- Developed reference charts using normal distribution quantiles.
Main Results:
- Data from 79,328 fetuses were analyzed.
- New growth charts for fetal biometry were successfully established.
- The charts demonstrated very good overall performance, with minor variations in higher quantiles.
Conclusions:
- New, localized reference charts for fetal biometry in Israel have been developed.
- These charts are derived from a large, minimally selected Israeli population.
- Implementation in routine obstetric practice is recommended for improved fetal assessment.
Background:
Selection of appropriate reference charts for fetal biometry is mandatory to ensure an accurate diagnosis. Most hospitals and clinics in Israel use growth curves from the United States. Charts developed in different populations do not perform well in the Israeli population.
Objectives:
To construct new reference charts for fetal biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC) and femur length (FL), using a large sample of fetuses examined at 14-42 weeks gestational age in a medical center and a community ultrasound unit located in two different regions of Israel.
Methods:
Data from the medical center and the community clinic were pooled. The mean and standard error of each measure for each week was calculated. Based on these, reference charts were calculated using quantiles of the normal distribution. The performance of the reference charts was assessed by comparing the new values to empiric quantiles.
Results:
Biometric measurements were obtained for 79,328 fetuses. Growth charts were established based on these measurements. The overall performance of the curves was very good, with only a few exceptions among the higher quantiles in the third trimester in the medical center subsample.
Conclusions:
We present new local reference charts for fetal biometry, derived from a large and minimally selected Israeli population. We suggest using these new charts in routine daily obstetric practice.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
z Scores and Area Under the Curve
Regression Toward the Mean
Normal Distribution
Life Tables

