ABSTRACT
In order to establish the reliability and accuracy of crown-rump length measurements of the fetus between the 7th and 14th wk of pregnancy, a series of 118 ultrasound tests has been performed on 60 patients, whose ovulation dates were known from basal body temperature records. During the tests, the investigator was not informed of the duration of the pregnancy. These data were statistically analyzed, using the equation t = 0.037 L2,24 (t is the duration of the pregnancy from the moment of ovulation onwards, L the crown-rump length in cm). The correlation coefficient was 0.942. This investigation proved that, if ultrasound measurements of the crown-rump length are taken in the first trimester, the maturity of the pregnancy can be estimated to within 1 wk.
Subject(s)
Anthropometry/methods , Fetus/anatomy & histology , Gestational Age , Ultrasonography , Female , Humans , PregnancyABSTRACT
52 women were examined, between the 25th and 40th wk of pregnancy, during the day-time, by the echographic multiscan/M-mode technique. Definitions of normal fetal breathing movements and singultus fetalis movements were determined. In normal pregnancies fetal breathing movements occurred during 12-19% of the total observation time before the 39th wk of pregnancy but only during 6-9% of the observation time in the 39th or 40th wk. In low birth weight pregnancies fetal breathing movements occurred during 8-13% of the total observation time, and the incidence was the same before and after the 39th wk. Singultus fetalis movements occurred in normal and low birth weight pregnancies.
