Accuracy of Digital Anthropometry During Pregnancy: A Longitudinal Study

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Anthropometry

Background:

• Maternal anthropometric changes during pregnancy are crucial indicators of maternal and fetal health.
• Conventional methods using flexible tape measures are common but may lack precision.
• Dynamic changes in body composition and shape are linked to pregnancy outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of 3D-optical imaging for maternal anthropometry.
• To compare 3D-optical measurements with traditional flexible tape measurements.
• To assess the correlation between 3D-optical and tape-based circumferential measures.

Main Methods:

• 3D-optical scans and flexible tape measurements were taken at 15, 25, and 35 weeks of gestation.
• Circumferences (waist, hip, arm, thigh, calf) were analyzed from 3D avatars.
• Agreement was assessed using regression analyses, MAE, RMSE, CCC, and Bland-Altman plots.

Main Results:

• Strong agreement was observed between 3D-optical and flexible tape measurements across all five sites (R²s 0.63-0.97).
• High concordance correlation coefficients (CCCs 0.6-1.0) indicate good reliability.
• Minor biases were noted, potentially influenced by advancing pregnancy.

Conclusions:

• 3D-optical imaging demonstrates feasible implementation and high accuracy for maternal anthropometry.
• This technology presents a viable alternative to conventional methods for monitoring pregnancy-related body changes.
• Further development of 3D-optical systems is supported for clinical use.