ULTRASONOGRAPHIC EXAMINATION OF INTRAUTERINE GROWTH FOR MULTIPLE FETAL DIMENSIONS IN A CHINESE POPULATION

OBJECTIVE: We sought to construct an ultrasonography-based growth curv e in a Chinese population. STUDY DESIGN: Routine ultrasonographic exam ination was performed in 5496 normal pregnancies (>95% first births) i n five obstetric ultrasonography laboratories in Central-South China f rom January 1, 1992, to December 31, 1993; RESULTS: All the fetal grow th measures increased with gestational age, whereas the ratios either de; creased or remained constant across gestation. Biparietal diameter and cerebral hemispheric width were higher at early gestational ages, whereas femur length, thoracic circumference, and abdominal circumfer ence were lower at later gestational ages in our study than in previou s studies. The ratio of lateral ventricular width/cerebral hemispheric width was lower at an early gestational age but higher in later gesta tional ages in our study. CONCLUSIONS: A different standard of ultraso nography-based fetal growth is needed for different populations. The u ltrasonography-based growth curve constructed in this large Chinese po pulation provides an additional tool for the evaluation of fetal growt h and development.