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Published on: June 29, 2013
Third-Trimester Conditional Reference Values for Longitudinal Fetal Growth Assessment
Tri Rahmat Basuki1, Stefania Triunfo, Javier Caradeux
1Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, and Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain.
This study provides new reference centiles for fetal growth, including estimated fetal weight (EFW) and abdominal circumference (AC), during the third trimester. These values aid in quantifying fetal growth and assessing deviations from expected patterns.
Area of Science:
- Maternal-fetal medicine
- Prenatal diagnostics
- Fetal biometry
Background:
- Accurate fetal growth assessment in the third trimester is crucial for identifying potential growth abnormalities.
- Existing reference values may not fully capture longitudinal growth patterns during this critical period.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish longitudinal reference centiles for estimated fetal weight (EFW) and abdominal circumference (AC) in the third trimester.
- To develop coefficients for conditional growth assessment, allowing for personalized growth evaluation.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of low-risk singleton pregnancies.
- Ultrasound scans performed between 30-34 weeks and 37-38 weeks gestation.
- Multilevel modeling used to derive unconditional and conditional growth centiles.
Main Results:
- Established reference centiles for EFW and AC across the third trimester.
- Reported proportions of fetuses falling outside the 10th and 90th centiles for unconditional and conditional growth.
- Demonstrated the distribution of EFW and AC measurements within the derived centiles.
Conclusions:
- Generated robust reference centiles for third-trimester fetal EFW and AC growth.
- These centiles serve as a valuable tool for quantifying fetal growth and identifying deviations.
- The study provides a basis for improved monitoring of fetal development.
