Study of the Relationship between Placental Thickness and Growth Parameters in Normal Sudanese Fetuses

Abstract

In ultrasound growth parameters such as femur length (FL) and Biparietal diameter (BPD) are widely used in Sudan for determining the fetal age. The abdomen circumference is also used along with BPD in determining fetal weight. Measuring placental thickness along with these parameters could be of great value. The main objective of this study was to determine the normal thickness of placenta during second and third trimesters in Sudanese foetuses in order to predict the health of the foetus, and to understand the relation between the placental thickness and growth parameters (BPD and FL). 53 pregnant Sudanese ladies were included in this study all of which were normal cases in the ages between 20 and 43 years of age, in the second and third trimesters checking for antenatal routine ultrasound examinations at Military and Omdurman Maternal hospitals. Every patient with a suspicious history of diabetes, Hydrops, hypertension or liability to fetal anomalies was excluded from the study. After acquiring the BPD and FL and correlating Gestational Age GA for each patient, the placental thickness was then measured in the longitudinal section using ultrasound investigations. The normal range of placental thickness was found to be from 25mm to 45mm in the third trimester and from 18mm to 24mm in the second trimester, with a linear correlation between placental thickness and BPD and FL in mm, and gestational ages acquired by them during both 2nd and 3rd Trimesters, and no correlation with maternal age. Indicating that during the 3rd trimester any thickness above 45mm is considered abnormal and might be a sign of maternal or fetal disease, and a thickness less than 25mm might be the earliest sign for Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR).