Ultrasonography of fetal kidney length as the approach for estimation of gestational age in Sudanese

Abstract

A true estimation of gestational age (GA) plays an important role in quality maternity care and scheduling the labor date. This study was to evaluate the  application of kidney length (KL) measurement to the determine GA between the 14th and 40th weeks and to compare its accuracy with that of other  fetal biometric indices. This study has been designed as a prospective descriptive cross-sectional study in Khartoum and Gezira states - Sudan. 389  Sudanese healthy pregnant women, age between 15 – 45 years were examined by ultrasound with normal and wellbeing fetuses. Linear regression  models for estimation of GA were derived from the biometric indices and kidney length. Also, stepwise regression models were constructed to detect the  best model for determining GA between 14 and 40 weeks. Comparisons were then made between the accuracy of these models in the determination of  GA. The equations derived from linear regression analysis when the individual variables were considered separately. Among the variable parameters  considered in this study, the most accurate was the kidney length with a standard error (SE) of (0.04) day, after that the biparietal diameter with (SE=0.10  day) and femur length, (SE=0.13 day). While the least accurate one was the abdominal circumference with an SE of 1.35 days. A significant correlation was  found between GA and KL (r=0.72, P<0.002). The Kidney length is the easy to identify and measure. It is the most accurate parameter for estimating  GA than other biometric indices in late 2nd and 3rd trimesters.