Clinical Versus Echographic Estimation of Fetal Weight at Term in A Selected Caucasian Milieu SciDoc Publishers | Open Access | Science Journals | Media Partners

Fetal weight estimation is an important consideration when making decisions in obstetrics [1]. Accuracy in estimation remains a challenge to obstetricians especially in breech presentation, previous scar, fetal macrosomia, and previous dystocia [2-4]. Various methods of fetal weight estimation with different conditions and having varying degrees of accuracy and limitations have been reported. Accuracy varies depending on the time, the method and formula used [1]. Clinical estimations based on abdominal palpations and fundal height measurements with errors of 251g, 224g and 310 – 338g have been reported by some authors [5-8], [13]. Although ultrasound has its limitations, only few health facilities in developing countries have ultrasound equipments and when available, not all clients can afford for them. Clinical estimation, however, could be as accurate as routine ultrasound estimation, except in low birth-weight babies [9]. In daily obstetric practice, no standard clinical formula has been adopted in estimating fetal weight in Cameroon and this led to the development and testing of the Kongnyuy – Mbu’s method. This method uses only fundal height (FH) to estimate fetal weight (FW) in grams [Estimated FW = 3(FH)2]. The two authors working in the biggest maternity in Cameroon discovered that the abdominal circumference (AC) of a pregnant Cameroonian woman at term is thrice the fundal height and they derived the formula from the FH x AC used routinely to estimate fetal weights in the service. The authors explained that AC is influenced by the body mass index (BMI) while fundal height is not. The inexpensive and easy availability of the non-elastic tape makes it attractive for use in fetal weight estimation in developing countries [10-12]. This study was carried out to compare this method and routine echography in relation to actual birth weights at term