Macrosomia

Edward Araujo Júnior1, Alberto Borges Peixoto1, Ana Cristina Perez Zamarian1

  • 1Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine - Federal University of São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo-SP, Brazil.

Fetal macrosomia is defined as birth weight >4000 g and is associated with several maternal and fetal complications such as maternal birth canal trauma, shoulder dystocia, and perinatal asphyxia. Early identification of risk factors could allow preventive measures to be taken to avoid adverse perinatal outcomes. Prenatal diagnosis is based on two-dimensional ultrasound formulae, but accuracy is low, particularly at advanced gestation. Three-dimensional ultrasound could be an alternative to soft tissue monitoring, allowing better prediction of birth weight than two-dimensional ultrasound. In this article, we describe the definition, risk factors, diagnosis, prevention, ultrasound monitoring, prenatal care, and delivery in fetal macrosomia cases.

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