Nomogram of the fetal gastric size development in normal pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: To construct an ultrasonographic nomogram of the fetal gastric size with gestational age in normal singleton pregnancy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Out of 17 000 outpatient pregnant women who were admitted to our hospital, a total of 250 fetal measurements were randomly collected from routine ultrasonographic examinations performed in women with normal singleton pregnancies between 13 and 39 weeks of gestation without medical or obstetric complications. None of the fetuses had detectable fetal malformations. The ultrasound plane which provided the largest stomach area including the pylorus on a transverse and oblique section was used for definition and measurement of gastric longitudinal dimensions. The transverse section at the center of the gastric corpus was used for transverse and anteroposterior dimensions. Biparietal diameter, abdominal circumference were also measured. RESULTS: The fetal gastric longitudinal, anteroposterior and transverse dimensions were significantly correlated with gestational age (r values 0.74, 0.71, and 0.49, respectively). There was a significant correlation measurements between gastric size and AC. The correlation coefficents for gastric dimensions with gestational age was larger than those with AC (r=0.732, 0.702 and 0.489, respectively). The ratio of fetal gastric anteroposterior dimension to fetal AC was a constant parameter calculated as 1/3. CONCLUSION: Fetal stomach dimensions in normal pregnancy correlate with gestational age and nomogram of fetal gastric development appears to be useful in assessment of normal fetal growth.