Ultrasonic patterns of intrauterine fetal growth in a Latin American country

Head circumference and its cross-sectional area, biparietal and fronto-occipital diameters, abdominal circumference and its cross-sectional area, and the transverse and anteroposterior diameters were measured in 30 healthy single fetuses from normal pregnancies by means of ultrasound. The 5th, 50th and 95th percentiles of distance and velocity curves are described. The comparison of the values of a perimeter (abdominal or cephalic) measured directly from the photograph or calculated by the ellipse formula, showed a straight correlation. The use of the ellipse formula in current practice may simplify and reduce the cost of this technology.