Keywords
Hadlock’s method
Insler-Bernstein’s formula
Johnson’s formula
How to Cite
Abstract
Introduction: Various clinical and sonological methods are used for estimation of fetal weight at term with varying accuracy.
Objectives: To compare clinical and sonological methods of fetal weight estimation at term.
Methodology: A prospective cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, for a duration of one year. Women with term, singleton pregnancy admitted for delivery were enrolled. Fetal weight was estimated by two clinical methods -Insler-Bernstein’s and Johnson's formulae as well as by ultrasonography using Hadlock’s method. After delivery actual birth weight of newborns was compared with weights estimated by clinical and sonological methods. Frequency, percentage, mean, mean difference, standard deviation were calculated for descriptive analysis; for inferential statistics, p value was calculated by use of paired t test and association was calculated using the Pearson correlation coefficient.
Results: Total of 213 cases were enrolled. Difference of mean of weight estimated by sonological method compared to actual birth weight was statistically significant (p < 0.001) whereas there were no significant differences in mean values calculated by two clinical methods compared to actual birth weight (p =0.98 and 0.96). Insler-Bernstein’s formula showed strongest positive linear correlation with the actual birth weight (r=0.76) among all three methods.
Conclusion: Estimation of fetal weight by clinical methods was more accurate compared to sonological method. Among the two clinical methods Insler-Bernstein’s formula was closer to actual birth weight.
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