ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess the predictive value of uterine height (UH) in the screening of hypotrophy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: UH percentiles curves depending on gestational age were established on a sample of 385 newborns with normal weight. The assessment of predictive value of the UH was done in 430 pregnant women knowing exactly their last menstruation period. Performance of UH to predict hypotrophy was expressed in terms of sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and likelihood ratios with their 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Sensitivity of at least 2 measures of the UH less than the 10th percentile was 71.1% with a specificity of 94.8%. Positive and negative predictive values were 61.5% and 96.6% respectively and the likelihood ratios were 13.6 for a positive test and 0.3 for negative test. CONCLUSION: A serial measure of UH can be useful in the screening of hypotrophy especially in our region where the UH remains the only tool to assess the fetal growth.
