Skin thickness as a potential marker of gestational age at birth despite different fetal growth profiles: A feasibility study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

New methodologies to estimate gestational age (GA) at birth are demanded to face the limited access to obstetric ultrasonography and imprecision of postnatal scores. The study analyzed the correlation between neonatal skin thickness and pregnancy duration. Secondarily, it investigated the influence of fetal growth profiles on tissue layer dimensions.

Methods and findings

In a feasibility study, 222 infants selected at a term-to-preterm ratio of 1:1 were assessed. Reliable information on GA was based on the early ultrasonography-based reference. The thicknesses of the epidermal and dermal skin layers were examined using high-frequency ultrasonography. We scanned the skin over the forearm and foot plantar surface of the newborns. A multivariate regression model was

SUBMITTER: Vitral GLN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5919437 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature