Sonographic Correlation of Placental thickness with Estimated fetal Weight at term among the Pregnants in Lahore

Abstract

Introduction: Placenta develops in the uterus and provides oxygen and nutrients to the baby. It begins to form in the 2nd month of pregnancy and is usually matured in the 4th month. It can be seen through ultrasonography by 9th or 10th week. The normal functioning of the placenta is determined by measuring placental thickness through ultrasonography which increases with the gestational age and is considered normal when it does not exceed 4 cm at any time during pregnancy. The objective of this study is to find Sonographic Correlation of Placental thickness with fetal weight at term among the pregnant in Lahore. Material and Method: A total of 213 cases were included in this cross-sectional analytical study. All subjects were scanned at term and gestational age, estimated fetal weight and placental thickness were measured. Pearson’s correlation was used to evaluate the correlation of placental thickness and estimated fetal weight. Results:Placental thickness and Estimated Fetal weight showed progressive increase in the value from 36 weeks to 40 weeks in this study. The mean placental thickness ranged from30.15±5.12 mm at 36th week to 37.49±2.31 mm at 40th week. The mean estimated fetal weight ranged from 2885.00±194.18 grams at 36th week to 3919.85±352.88 grams at 40th week. A significantly moderate correlation has been found between estimated fetal weight and placental thickness measured after 36 weeks of pregnancy. Conclusion:It is concluded that placental thickness is directly related to estimated fetal weight after 36 weeks of pregnancy. Therefore, it is helpful to assess placental thickness for the proper evaluation of fetal growth and well-being.