Fetal tibial and foot length for prediction of gestational age: An ultrasonographic study

Introduction: An accurate gestational age is must for Obstetricians and Gynecologists to make appropriate decisions, for identify and counseling women who are at risk of a preterm delivery and to evaluation of fetal growth and the detection of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). In our present study, we worked on fetal tibial length & foot length and found that in normal growing fetus, fetal tibial length increase with advancing gestational age and regression analysis showed a strongly significant relationship between gestational age and fetal tibial length. Materials and Methods: 100 pregnant women underwent ultrasonographic measurements of Tibia and Foot Length from 15 to 36 weeks of gestation, in the Radio diagnosis Department. Results: In our study, we found the earliest age at which Tibia and foot length could be seen by ultrasound was 15 weeks of gestation and mean tibia length 10.25± 0.50, mean foot length is 17.5±1.29 while at 36 weeks of gestation are 70.80±0.84 and 64.4±3.28 respectively. A strongly significant relationship has been observed between fetal foot length and gestational age by regression analysis. Conclusion: Fetal tibia length and foot length can be considered as one of the good parameter for the determination of gestational age.