Association patterns of fetal head dimensions, postcranial body growth and neonatal size

week of gestation. In detail, crown-rump length, biparietal diameter, fronto-occipital diameter, head circumference, abdominal transverse diameter, abdominal anterior-posterior diameter, abdominal circumference, and femur length were determined. Birth weight, birth length and head circumference were measured within one hour after birth. Fetal head size, abdominal dimensions and femur length intercorrelated positively from the second trimester onwards and correlated significantly positively with neonatal size (r = 0.04 to 0.46). Despite these allometric associations between fetal and newborn parameters, principal component analyses showed that parameters indicating body fat/weight, head or brain size and skeletal growth load on separate components. Consequently, under optimal circumstances during pregnancy, head growth, fat accumulation and skeletal growth show independent incremental patterns from the second trimester onwards.

Biology · Biparietal diameter · Birth weight · Circumference · Crown-rump length · Femur · Fetal head · Fetus · First trimester · Geometry · Gestation · Gestational age · Head circumference · Obstetrics · Postcrania · Pregnancy · Radiology · Ultrasound · Anatomy · Birth, Development, and Health · Gestational Diabetes Research and Management · Mathematics · Medicine · Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies · Surgery