Should Fetal Growth Charts Be References or Standards?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Fetal growth standards (prescriptive charts derived from low-risk pregnancies) are theoretically better tools to monitor fetal growth than conventional references. We examined how modifying chart inclusion criteria influenced the resulting curves.

Methods

We summarized estimated fetal weight (EFW) distributions from a hospital's routine 32-week ultrasound in all nonanomalous singleton fetuses (reference) and in those without maternal-fetal conditions affecting fetal growth (standard). We calculated EFWs for the 3rd, 5th, 10th, and 50th percentiles, and the proportion of fetuses each chart classified as small for gestational age.

Results

Of 2309 fetuses in our reference, 690 (30%) met the standard's inclusion criteria. There were no meaningful differences be

SUBMITTER: Hutcheon JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7707154 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature