Sonological estimation of gestational age by measuring length of fetal kidney after 20 weeks of pregnancy in healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancy

Abstract

Back ground and Objectives: In pregnant women accurate estimation of gestational age and dating is of paramount importance influencing the management. Methods to estimate the date of delivery in pregnancies should be simple and straightforward, irrespective of gestational age. Obstetrics sonography, because of its accuracy, plays a significant role in determination of gestational age. Fetal kidney length is emerging and claiming to be a new parameter and also it is more accurate in certain situations. Methods: This study was conducted in department of obstetrics and gynaecology, Institute of maternal & child health, Kozhikode during the period from December 2012 to October 2013. Obstetric sonography was performed in 179 women with uncomplicated pregnancy to evaluate the efficacy of FKL as a measure to calculate the predicted gestational age. Gestational age ranges from 20weeks to term. Only patients within inclusion criteria were taken for the study. Fetal biometry evaluated includes BPD, HC, AC, FL, FKL (Fetal kidney Length). Results: FKL correlate well with clinical gestational age, even though the correlation coefficient is slightly less than the other parameters. Overall in combined second and third trimester, FK GA correlates with gestational age with high correlation coefficient of 0.95 along with other parameters ( BPD, HC, AC,FL ) as the accurate parameters for assessing the gestational age. Conclusion: FKL correlated with other fetal biometric parameters and clinical gestational age. The correlation was found to be significant. Nomogram of the FKL shows that there is a linear relationship between the fetal kidney length growth and the gestational age. So FKL can be used as a reliable parameter for determination of gestational age along with other parameters.