Diagnostic Accuracy of Fetal Abdominal Circumference on Ultrasound in the Detection of Macrosomic Infants

Abstract

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of fetal abdominal circumference on ultrasonography in the detection of macrosomic infants, taking birth weight as gold standard.

Methodology: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was done at department of Radiology Shaheed Zulifiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University Islamabad from May 2016 to October 2016. A total of 226 patients with females with singleton pregnancy with suspected macrosomic infants and age 18-40 years were included. All the patients underwent ultrasonography and presence or absence of macrosomia was noted as per fetal abdominal circumference. Fetal abdominal circumference ≥35 cm was considered as macrosomic. Ultrasonography findings were compared with birth weight in each patient. All the data was collected via study proforma.

Results: Mean age of study subjects was 31.20±5.41 years and mean gestational age 38.06±1.14 weeks. Out of all 144 (63.72%) fetus were diagnosed as macrosomic and as per birth weight observations 138(61.06%) cases diagnosed as macrosomic.  However ultrasound sensitivity and specificity were found to be 94.20%, 84.00% and overall diagnostic accuracy was observed 90.27% in the detection of macrosomic infants, taking birth weight as gold standard.

Conclusion: Fetal abdominal circumference on ultrasonography found to be a valuable and noninvasive diagnostic technique for macrosomic infants with sensitivity 94.2% and septicity 84%. Ultrasonography is a highly sensitive and reliable, simple, economical and readily available modality.