Diagnosis of intra-uterine growth retardation by intensive ultra-sound biometry

Abstract

In a prospective study on 125 maternity patients with suspected intra-uterine growth retardation, simple ultrasound biometry (measuring of the distance) and intensive ultra-sound biometry (measurement of the circumference and the surface) were compared. Of 85 newborn born within two weeks following the biometry 34 newborn had intra-uterine growth retardation with a weight percentile smaller than 5, and 32 newborn were growth retarded with a percentile of 5-10. In 19 cases no growth retardation was found. (12 newborn in this group had a weight percentile 10-25). The measurement of the biparietal diameter was capable of diagnosing at the most 50% of the growth retardations (percentile under 5). The accuracy of the diagnosis of intra-uterine growth retardation increased to 85% with the thoraco-abdominal transverse diameter. The so-called borderline cases (percentile 5-10) were diagnosed with the bi-parietal diameter in 38 percent of the cases and by the transverse thoracic diameter in 41% of the cases. Measurement of the circumference of the head resulted in no better measurements than the bi-parietal diameter. The addition of the measurement of the thoracic circumference increased the diagnosis of severe fetal growth retardation (percentile under 5) to 90% and in borderline cases to 88%. The head thorax index and the ratio of head circumference and thoracic circumference increase in our investigation the accuracy of the diagnosis of intra-uterine fetal growth retardation substantially.