Biomaterial Database

Fetal head and abdominal circumferences: effect of profile shape on the accuracy of ellipse equations. 1987

J R Shields, and A L Medearis, and M B Bear

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California 90048.

Images of 122 fetal heads and abdomens were obtained with ultrasound for the determination of head and abdominal circumferences. The profile shapes were characterized by the cephalic or abdominal index (D1/D2 x 100), D1 and D2 being the shortest and longest diameters of either the head or abdomen. The mean of the cephalic index was 79.1% +/- 5.2%, and that of the abdominal index was 89.1% +/- 7.0%. All equations were equally accurate in calculating head and abdominal circumferences regardless of the profile shape. Therefore, the simplest equation, (D1 + D2) x 1.57, should be utilized when calculating circumferences except in situations of extreme dolichocephaly.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
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
D005260	Female		Females
D005314	Embryonic and Fetal Development	Morphological and physiological development of EMBRYOS or FETUSES.	Embryo and Fetal Development,Prenatal Programming,Programming, Prenatal
D006257	Head	The upper part of the human body, or the front or upper part of the body of an animal, typically separated from the rest of the body by a neck, and containing the brain, mouth, and sense organs.	Heads
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000005	Abdomen	That portion of the body that lies between the THORAX and the PELVIS.	Abdomens
D000886	Anthropometry	The technique that deals with the measurement of the size, weight, and proportions of the human or other primate body.
D014463	Ultrasonography	The visualization of deep structures of the body by recording the reflections or echoes of ultrasonic pulses directed into the tissues. Use of ultrasound for imaging or diagnostic purposes employs frequencies ranging from 1.6 to 10 megahertz.	Echography,Echotomography,Echotomography, Computer,Sonography, Medical,Tomography, Ultrasonic,Ultrasonic Diagnosis,Ultrasonic Imaging,Ultrasonographic Imaging,Computer Echotomography,Diagnosis, Ultrasonic,Diagnostic Ultrasound,Ultrasonic Tomography,Ultrasound Imaging,Diagnoses, Ultrasonic,Diagnostic Ultrasounds,Imaging, Ultrasonic,Imaging, Ultrasonographic,Imaging, Ultrasound,Imagings, Ultrasonographic,Imagings, Ultrasound,Medical Sonography,Ultrasonic Diagnoses,Ultrasonographic Imagings,Ultrasound, Diagnostic,Ultrasounds, Diagnostic