Ultrasonographic fetal kidney length for determination of gestational age in late second and third trimesters | ||
| SVU-International Journal of Medical Sciences | ||
| Volume 8, Issue 2, July 2025, Pages 720-731 PDF (589.14 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original research articles | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/svuijm.2025.421937.2276 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Ali A. Bendary; Shreen Naguib Aboelezz Moselhy* ; Amira E. Khalil; Labiba Kasem Elsayed | ||
| Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha, Egypt. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Accurate gestational age (GA) determination is vital for managing obstetric care but becomes challenging in the late second and third trimesters due to increasing variability in conventional fetal biometrics. Objectives: This study investigates fetal kidney length (FKL) as a potential parameter for reliable GA estimation during this period. Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 pregnant women with singleton pregnancies and certain dates, stratified into four gestational groups (n=25 per group). All participants underwent ultrasonography to measure FKL, biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL), and abdominal circumference (AC). Results: A strong positive correlation was found between all biometric parameters and different gestational ages. Fetal kidney length demonstrated an exceptionally strong and statistically significant correlation with gestational age (r=0.899, p<0.01), which was comparable to AC (r=0.900) and FL (r=0.897), and superior to BPD (r=0.671). The mean FKL increased predictably from 31.0 ± 6.03 mm at 24 weeks to 42.0 ± 4.0 mm at 36 weeks, with a growth rate of approximately 2.0 mm every three weeks. Paired t-test analysis showed no significant difference between the actual GA and the GA estimated by FKL (p=0.489), confirming its accuracy. Conclusion: Fetal kidney length exhibits a strong, linear correlation with gestational age and serves as a highly reliable and accurate biometric parameter for GA estimation in the late second and third trimesters, offering a valuable adjunct to established methods. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Fetal kidney length; Gestational age; Third trimester; Ultrasonography; Pregnancy dating | ||
|
Statistics Article View: 17 PDF Download: 7 |
||
