Abstract
Aim: The main objective is to incorporate the major foetal parameters –
biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference and
femur length for prediction of gestational age through ultrasonography
between 10th and 42nd weeks of gestation and try to do a simultaneous
comparative study with gestational age predicted by last menstrual
period. Methods: The study has been conducted particularly on the
population of Bangladesh. It has been done on 229 Bangladeshi women who
had usual singleton foetuses, with evidence of menstrual dates by
sonography before fourteen weeks of gestation. Foetal anatomical
structures have been scanned and measured at the time of sonographic
inspection. For each patient, in addition to the four foetal parameters
such as Biparietal Diameter (BPD), Head Circumference (HC), Abdominal
Circumference (AC) and Femur Length (FL), the other parameters like
Gestational Age (GA) by Last Menstrual Period (LMP) as well as by
Ultrasonography (USG) have been recorded. Here we have adopted
non-linear regression models in order to predict the response on
gestational age. Usually, different modelling methods have been used for
this purpose. Results: The logarithmic models normally presented better
results if gestational age was predicted based on a single parameter
than polynomial models whereas if all predictor variables were
considered together, then Nernst model may turn out to be the best one.
Also, it was seen that the accuracy level of gestational age predicted
by ultrasonography was slightly more accurate than that determined by
last menstrual period. Conclusions: There is a high degree of
association among the different foetal parameters. Further, there is a
high degree of association between the gestational ages by LMP and that
by USG. Prediction of gestational ages by USG technique gives a good
degree of accuracy and hence can be a reliable technique for estimation
of gestational ages.