Fundal height in normal pregnant Nigerian women: anthropometric gravidogram. 1990

J O Ogunranti
Department of Anatomy, College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Fundal height measurements in centimeters (FH) have always been an objective method of evaluating fetal growth in pregnancy. The popular Mcdonald's rule refers mainly to caucasions unfortunately. Since FH may actually vary in an anthropological sense it was considered necessary to apply Mcdonald's rule to African subjects. Pregnant Nigerian women were studied to observe how their fundal height values compared with those obtained for caucasian women in western communities. A gravidogram was derived for the 10th, 50th and 90th centiles. Values outside the range of 10-90th centiles are to be used for the prediction of small-for-dates and large-for-dates babies accordingly. Prediction formulae for the various centiles derived from regression analysis were obtained and their usefulness in clinical anthropological practice using fundal height measurement highlighted. A simple universal formula for African subjects is presented. Normal values of pregnant women for somatotype, height, and abdominal girth are also presented. The result of this survey demonstrates a significant difference in fundal height values of African women from those of the hitherto utilized standards derived from the study of caucasian women, especially in early pregnancy. This report suggests an early intra-uterine growth retardation in the African pregnancies which is corrected in the third trimester.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009549 Nigeria A republic in western Africa, south of NIGER between BENIN and CAMEROON. Its capital is Abuja. Federal Republic of Nigeria
D011247 Pregnancy The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH. Gestation,Pregnancies
D012016 Reference Values The range or frequency distribution of a measurement in a population (of organisms, organs or things) that has not been selected for the presence of disease or abnormality. Normal Range,Normal Values,Reference Ranges,Normal Ranges,Normal Value,Range, Normal,Range, Reference,Ranges, Normal,Ranges, Reference,Reference Range,Reference Value,Value, Normal,Value, Reference,Values, Normal,Values, Reference
D005260 Female Females
D005314 Embryonic and Fetal Development Morphological and physiological development of EMBRYOS or FETUSES. Embryo and Fetal Development,Prenatal Programming,Programming, Prenatal
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000886 Anthropometry The technique that deals with the measurement of the size, weight, and proportions of the human or other primate body.
D044383 Black People Persons having origins in any of the black racial groups of AFRICA. Note that OMB category BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN is available for the United States population groups. Race and ethnicity terms, as used in the federal government, are self-identified social construct and may include terms outdated and offensive in MeSH to assist users who are interested in retrieving comprehensive search results for studies such as in longitudinal studies. African Continental Ancestry Group,Black Person,Negroid Race,Black Peoples,Black Persons,Negroid Races,People, Black,Person, Black,Persons, Black,Race, Negroid

Related Publications

J O Ogunranti
October 1984, Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet,
J O Ogunranti
October 1966, The Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology of the British Commonwealth,
J O Ogunranti
January 2008, Clinical and experimental obstetrics & gynecology,
J O Ogunranti
January 1992, West African journal of medicine,
J O Ogunranti
January 2013, ISRN obstetrics and gynecology,
J O Ogunranti
January 2014, Risk management and healthcare policy,
J O Ogunranti
October 2009, Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology : the journal of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,
J O Ogunranti
January 1993, Journal of nurse-midwifery,
Copied contents to your clipboard!