MEASUREMENTS OF FETAL GROWTH VIA TRANSABDOMINAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY DURING MID - PREGNANCY

E. Raicheva, D. Dimov, I. Ralchev, N. Metodiev

Abstract: The aim of present study was to determine values of some measurements of foetal growth via transabdominal ultrasonography (5 MHz sector probe) during mid-pregnancy (50-84 days) at ewes from Synthetic Population Bulgarian Milk. The study was а continuation of our previous work, in which we evaluated the fetal growth between 25-63 days. The following measurements (in mm) were taken on days 50, 60, 70 and 84 of pregnancy: head diameters - biparieatal (BPD) and occipito-nasal (ONL) (except day 84), placentome size: width and length. The effect of gestational phase on foetal growth is analysed by one way ANOVA and coefficients of correlation (r) were established between gestational phase and measurements. The gestational phase influence significantly (P<0.001) all taken measurements. The mean values for BPD were 14.26, 20.92, 25.94 and 31.43 respectively for day 50.60, 70 and 84. On day 50 the mean value for ONL was 22.82 and reached 44.4 on day 70. The size of placentomes varied in wide range, as we observed in our previous work. On days 50 the mean values were: length- 18.54 and width – 13.28 and reached on 84 day mean length – 37.24 and mean width – 25.11. It was established high, positive and significant correlation between head diameters, placentome size and gestational age (r = 0.97*** - BPD, r = 0.94*** - ONL, r = 0.78*** - length and r = 0.72*** - width). In our previous study we concluded, that independently using of both diameters was suitable for prognosis of gestational age. But now, as we take in mind the present and pervious study, we recommend the BPD as primary measurement for prediction of fetal age. The placentomes size were poorer reliable for prognosis gestational age in comparison to head diameters, but could be used as auxiliary parameter for prognosis.

Keywords: ewe; gestational age; measurements; ultrasound

Date published: 2019-04-19