Ultrasound measurement of fetal foot length, fetal kidney length and distal femoral epiphyseal diameter as predictors of gestational age

ABSTRACT

Obstetric ultrasound examinations were carried out on 458 pregnant women between 20 and 40 weeks of gestation. Examinations involved measurement of fetal foot length [FFL], fetal kidney length [FKL] and distal femoral epiphyseal diameter [DFE], in addition to determination of fetal sex. The study provided standard growth tables for each of the three parameters during the second half of pregnancy. Comparison between male and female fetuses has shown constantly longer FFL in male which was occasionally significant, similar FKL in both sexes and slightly bigger DFE in female fetuses than in males. In conclusion, the three parameters could be of additional helpful value in estimating gestational age and fetal maturity. Sex differences may have some influence which should be considered during plotting the growth curves, but this would require further studies