Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 4, Issue 2 65-67, Copyright © 1985 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Computer-assisted evaluation of ultrasonic fetal weight prediction using multiple regression equations with and without the fetal femur length
J. S. Woo, C. W. Wan and K. M. Cho
Ultrasonic fetal femur length (FL) measurement provides an accurate fetal
length. Combined with cross-sectional dimensions such as the biparietal
diameter (BPD) and abdominal circumference (AC), FL provides a
three-dimensional profile of the fetus. The usefulness of incorporating FL
measurements into weight-predicting regression equations containing the BPD
and AC was assessed. Multiple regression equations containing these three
parameters as a function of log10 birthweight were constructed from data
obtained from 125 patients within 48 hours of delivery. The mean errors in
fetal weight prediction derived from five of these equations were assessed
in another 92 patients. The coefficients of multiple correlation were
marginally better in those equations that contained FL. The mean
differences were also slightly lower with these equations compared with
those that did not contain FL. However, the mean differences derived from
all the equations were not significantly different from each other (P
greater than 0.05). Therefore, despite theoretical considerations, the
results from this study do not justify the routine clinical use of these
new equations containing FL to estimate intrauterine fetal weight, in
replacement of existing charts based on BPD and AC.
