Isolated short femur length on second-trimester sonography: a marker for fetal growth restriction and other adverse perinatal outcomes. 2012

Katherine R Goetzinger, and Alison G Cahill, and George A Macones, and Anthony O Odibo
MSCI, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, 4911 Barnes-Jewish Hospital Plaza, Campus Box 8064, St Louis, MO 63110, USA. goetzingerk@wudosis.wustl.edu

OBJECTIVE To estimate the association between isolated second-trimester short femur length and fetal growth restriction as well as other adverse perinatal outcomes. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with singleton gestations presenting for sonography between 16 and 24 weeks' gestation from 1990 to 2009. Cases of aneuploidy, skeletal dysplasia, and major anomalies were excluded. Short femur length was defined as length below the 10th percentile for gestational age and was considered isolated when both the estimated fetal weight and abdominal circumference were above the 10th percentile for gestational age. Isolated short femur length below the 5th percentile was also evaluated. The primary outcome was fetal growth restriction, defined as birth weight below the 10th percentile. Secondary outcomes included preeclampsia and preterm birth before 37 and 34 weeks. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the risk of these outcomes in fetuses with isolated short femur length. RESULTS Of 73,884 patients, 569 (0.8%) had a fetus with a femur length below the 10th percentile, of which 268 (47.1%) were isolated; 210 patients (0.3%) had a fetus with a femur length below the 5th percentile, of which 34 (16.2%) were isolated. Isolated short femur lengths below the 10th and 5th percentiles were associated with an increased risk of fetal growth restriction (<10th: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.4-4.6; <5th: aOR, 4.6; 95% CI, 2.0-10.7) and also with an increased risk of preterm birth before 37 and 34 weeks. There was no significant association between isolated short femur length and preeclampsia. CONCLUSIONS Isolated short femur length on second-trimester sonography is associated with a greater than 3-fold increased risk of fetal growth restriction and an increased risk of preterm birth. Serial growth assessment may be warranted in these cases.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007231 Infant, Newborn An infant during the first 28 days after birth. Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
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
D011262 Pregnancy Trimester, Second The middle third of a human PREGNANCY, from the beginning of the 15th through the 28th completed week (99 to 196 days) of gestation. Midtrimester,Pregnancy, Second Trimester,Trimester, Second,Midtrimesters,Pregnancies, Second Trimester,Pregnancy Trimesters, Second,Second Pregnancy Trimester,Second Pregnancy Trimesters,Second Trimester,Second Trimester Pregnancies,Second Trimester Pregnancy,Second Trimesters,Trimesters, Second
D005260 Female Females
D005269 Femur The longest and largest bone of the skeleton, it is situated between the hip and the knee. Trochanter,Greater Trochanter,Lesser Trochanter,Femurs,Greater Trochanters,Lesser Trochanters,Trochanter, Greater,Trochanter, Lesser,Trochanters,Trochanters, Greater,Trochanters, Lesser
D005317 Fetal Growth Retardation Failure of a FETUS to attain expected GROWTH. Growth Retardation, Intrauterine,Intrauterine Growth Retardation,Fetal Growth Restriction,Intrauterine Growth Restriction
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
D012189 Retrospective Studies Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons. Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective
D015331 Cohort Studies Studies in which subsets of a defined population are identified. These groups may or may not be exposed to factors hypothesized to influence the probability of the occurrence of a particular disease or other outcome. Cohorts are defined populations which, as a whole, are followed in an attempt to determine distinguishing subgroup characteristics. Birth Cohort Studies,Birth Cohort Study,Closed Cohort Studies,Cohort Analysis,Concurrent Studies,Historical Cohort Studies,Incidence Studies,Analysis, Cohort,Cohort Studies, Closed,Cohort Studies, Historical,Studies, Closed Cohort,Studies, Concurrent,Studies, Historical Cohort,Analyses, Cohort,Closed Cohort Study,Cohort Analyses,Cohort Studies, Birth,Cohort Study,Cohort Study, Birth,Cohort Study, Closed,Cohort Study, Historical,Concurrent Study,Historical Cohort Study,Incidence Study,Studies, Birth Cohort,Studies, Cohort,Studies, Incidence,Study, Birth Cohort,Study, Closed Cohort,Study, Cohort,Study, Concurrent,Study, Historical Cohort,Study, Incidence

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