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Updated: Mar 19, 2026
High Frequency Ultrasound for the Analysis of Fetal and Placental Development In Vivo
Published on: November 8, 2018
Second-Trimester 3-Dimensional Placental Sonography as a Predictor of Small-for-Gestational-Age Birth Weight
Hayley S Quant1, Mary D Sammel2, Samuel Parry1
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal and Child Health Research Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA.
Objectives:
We previously reported the association between first-trimester 3-dimensional (3D) placental measurements and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonates. In this study, we sought to determine whether second-trimester measurements further contribute to the antenatal detection of SGA and preeclampsia.
Methods:
We prospectively collected 3D sonographic volume sets and uterine artery pulsatility indices of singleton pregnancies at 18 to 24 weeks. Placental volume, placental quotient (placental volume/gestational age), mean placental diameter and chorionic diameter, placental morphologic index (mean placental diameter/placental quotient), placental chorionic index (mean chorionic diameter/placental quotient), and placental growth (volume per week) were assessed and evaluated as predictors of SGA and preeclampsia as a composite and alone.
Results:
Of 373 pregnancies, the composite outcome occurred in 67 (18.0%): 36 (9.7%) manifested SGA alone; 27 (7.2%) developed preeclampsia alone, and 4 (1.1%) developed both. The placental volume, placental quotient, mean placental diameter, mean chorionic diameter, and volume per week were significantly smaller, whereas the placental morphologic index and chorionic index were significantly larger in pregnancies with the composite outcome (P < .01). Further analyses revealed that the significant associations with placental parameters were limited to the SGA outcome. Each placental measure remained significantly associated with SGA after adjusting for confounders. The mean uterine artery pulsatility index was not associated with either outcome. Placental parameters were moderately predictive of SGA, with adjusted areas under the curve ranging from 0.72 to 0.76. Sensitivity for detection of SGA ranged from 32.5% to 45.0%, with positive predictive values ranging from 17.3% to 22.7%.
Conclusions:
Second-trimester 3D placental measurements can identify pregnancies at risk of SGA. However, there appears to be no significant improvement compared to those obtained in the first trimester.
