Unconditional and conditional standards for fetal abdominal circumference and estimated fetal weight in an ethnic Chinese population: A birth cohort study

Abstract

Background: Diagnosis of intrauterine fetal growth restriction and prediction of small-for-gestation age are often based on fetal abdominal circumference or estimated fetal weight (EFW). The present study aims to create unconditional (cross-sectional) and conditional (longitudinal) standards of fetal abdominal circumference and EFW for use in an ethnic Chinese population. Methods: In the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcome (GUSTO) birth cohort study in Singapore, fetal biometric measurements were obtained at enrolment to antenatal care (11-12 weeks) and up to three more time points during pregnancy. Singleton pregnancies with a healthy profile defined by maternal, pregnancy and fetal characteristics and birth outcomes were selected for this analysis. The Hadlock algorithm was used to calculate EFW. Mixed effects model was used to establish unconditional and conditional standards in z-scores and percentiles for both genders pooled and for each gender separately. Results: A total of 313 women were included, of whom 294 had 3 and 19 had 2 ultrasound scans other than the gestational age dating scan. Fetal abdominal circumference showed a roughly linear trajectory from 18 to 36weeks of gestation, while EFW showed an accelerating trajectory. Gender differences were more pronounced in the 10th percentile than the 50th or 90th percentiles. As compared to other published charts, this population showed growth trajectories that started low but caught up at later gestations. Conclusions: Unconditional and conditional standards for monitoring fetal size and fetal growth in terms of abdominal circumference and EFW are available for this ethnic-Chinese population. Electronic spreadsheets are provided for their implementation.