Development of a fetal weight chart using serial trans-abdominal ultrasound in an East African population: A longitudinal observational study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Development of a fetal weight chart using serial trans-abdominal ultrasound in an East African population

T2 - A longitudinal observational study

AU - Schmiegelow, Christentze

AU - Scheike, Thomas

AU - Oesterholt, Mayke

AU - Minja, Daniel

AU - Pehrson, Caroline

AU - Magistrado, Pamela

AU - Lemnge, Martha

AU - Rasch, Vibeke

AU - Lusingu, John

AU - Theander, Thor G

AU - Nielsen, Birgitte Bruun

PY - 2012/9/21

Y1 - 2012/9/21

N2 - OBJECTIVE: To produce a fetal weight chart representative of a Tanzanian population, and compare it to weight charts from Sub-Saharan Africa and the developed world. METHODS: A longitudinal observational study in Northeastern Tanzania. Pregnant women were followed throughout pregnancy with serial trans-abdominal ultrasound. All pregnancies with pathology were excluded and a chart representing the optimal growth potential was developed using fetal weights and birth weights. The weight chart was compared to a chart from Congo, a chart representing a white population, and a chart representing a white population but adapted to the study population. The prevalence of SGA was assessed using all four charts. RESULTS: A total of 2193 weight measurements from 583 fetuses/newborns were included in the fetal weight chart. Our chart had lower percentiles than all the other charts. Most importantly, in the end of pregnancy, the 10(th) percentiles deviated substantially causing an overestimation of the true prevalence of SGA newborns if our chart had not been used. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a weight chart representative for a Tanzanian population and provide evidence for the necessity of developing regional specific weight charts for correct identification of SGA. Our weight chart is an important tool that can be used for clinical risk assessments of newborns and for evaluating the effect of intrauterine exposures on fetal and newborn weight.

AB - OBJECTIVE: To produce a fetal weight chart representative of a Tanzanian population, and compare it to weight charts from Sub-Saharan Africa and the developed world. METHODS: A longitudinal observational study in Northeastern Tanzania. Pregnant women were followed throughout pregnancy with serial trans-abdominal ultrasound. All pregnancies with pathology were excluded and a chart representing the optimal growth potential was developed using fetal weights and birth weights. The weight chart was compared to a chart from Congo, a chart representing a white population, and a chart representing a white population but adapted to the study population. The prevalence of SGA was assessed using all four charts. RESULTS: A total of 2193 weight measurements from 583 fetuses/newborns were included in the fetal weight chart. Our chart had lower percentiles than all the other charts. Most importantly, in the end of pregnancy, the 10(th) percentiles deviated substantially causing an overestimation of the true prevalence of SGA newborns if our chart had not been used. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a weight chart representative for a Tanzanian population and provide evidence for the necessity of developing regional specific weight charts for correct identification of SGA. Our weight chart is an important tool that can be used for clinical risk assessments of newborns and for evaluating the effect of intrauterine exposures on fetal and newborn weight.

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0044773

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0044773

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 23028617

SN - 1932-6203

VL - 7

SP - e44773

JO - PLoS Computational Biology

JF - PLoS Computational Biology

IS - 9

ER -