Fetal tibial length as a tool for assessment of gestational age – A comparative study in North India.

ABSTRACT

Making appropriate management decisions requires accurate appraisal of gestational age. Accurate pregnancy dating may assist obstetricians in appropriately counselling women who are at risk of a preterm delivery about likely neonatal outcomes and is also essential in the evaluation of fetal growth and the detection of intrauterine growth restriction. The purpose of this study was to find out the other parameters such as tibial length which can be used to determine the gestational age either more accurately or can be used in other conditions where the previous parameters are unreliable. We found that in normally developing fetus the fetal tibial length increases with advancing gestational age and regression analysis showed a strongly significant relationship between fetal tibial length and gestational age. Fetal tibial length is a good marker for gestational age and can also be used in cases, which are not sure about their last menstrual period (LMP).