Abstract

Aims and objectives: To correlate the placental thickness with effective foetal birth weight (calculated weight given by the Ultrasonography machine). Introduction: The placental thickness measurement is a prime variable in determining the age of the foetus in association with other variables, particularly in the late second and early third trimester. Placental thickness is very much related to the development of the foetus and may play an essential role in determining the perinatal outcome. Materials and methods - The study was performed on 100 antenatal cases after getting ethical clearance from the institutional ethical committee. Informed consent was obtained from the participants of the study. Real-time ultrasonography of the upper abdomen and pelvis was performed after moderate distension of the urinary bladder in the supine position. The thickness of the placenta in millimetres was taken at the site of cord insertion and correlated with the effective foetal birth weight calculated with the help of foetal parameters like biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference(AC) and femur length(FL) by the ultrasonography machine with the help of Hadlock's regression tables. Results: On correlating the placental thickness with effective foetal birth weight, the study showed a positive correlation with an R-value of 0.798 and a p-value of 0.001. Conclusion: A strong correlation between placental thickness with gestational age and effective foetal birth weight was noted, which was statistically significant.

Key words: Placenta, prenatal ultrasonography, birth weight, foetal development