Human fetal somatic and visceral morphometrics
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 7, 2026
Three and Four-Dimensional Visualization and Analysis Approaches to Study Vertebrate Axial Elongation and Segmentation
Published on: February 28, 2021
M Barr1, W R Blackburn, N R Cooley
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109.
Insights
This study presents new fetal growth standards derived from precise autopsy measurements, aiming to improve the assessment of intrauterine growth abnormalities. These refined standards reduce overestimations of variation, aiding in the evaluation of fetal development.
Area of Science:
- Perinatology
- Fetal Medicine
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- High-resolution ultrasonography is increasingly used for prenatal fetal growth assessment.
- Growth aberrations are key indicators of abnormal intrauterine development.
- Precise definition of normal fetal growth is crucial for accurate diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish more precise fetal growth standards.
- To address the overestimation of variation in existing fetal growth curves.
- To provide a tool for assessing proportional growth aberrations.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of autopsy data from fetuses/neonates (50-4,000 g) with precise measurements.
- Identification and exclusion of outliers.
- Application of appropriate curve fitting techniques.
Main Results:
- Developed new fetal growth standards by largely eliminating the overestimation of variation about the mean.
- The new standards offer improved precision compared to previous computations.
- Data set systematically collected with attention to measurement precision.
Conclusions:
- The presented fetal growth standards enable more accurate assessment of growth aberrations.
- These standards can be correlated with gestational circumstances and fetal morphology.
- Improved diagnostic capabilities for abnormal intrauterine development.
Abstract:
Because of the increasing prenatal use of high-resolution ultrasonography to assess fetal growth and because growth aberration is one of the principal manifestations of abnormal intrauterine development, a more precise definition of normal growth is desirable. Our data set from autopsies of fetuses/neonates (50-4,000 g), collected with systematic attention to precision of measurement, is analyzed and presented. Previous computations of fetal growth curves appear to overstate the variation about the mean. Through the identification and exclusion of outliers and the use of appropriate curve fitting techniques, the problem of overestimation of variation about the mean has been largely eliminated. The new growth standards we present can be used to assess aberration from proportional growth and correlate it with gestational circumstances and particular morphological features of the fetus.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:22Sutures of the Skull
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
01:15Development of the Sexual Organs in the Embryo and Fetus
Near the gonadal ridges, two duct systems are present: the mesonephric ducts (Wolffian ducts) and paramesonephric ducts (Müllerian ducts). These ducts form the basis for the male...