Fetal trunk and head volume measured by three-dimensional ultrasound at 11+0 to 13+6 weeks of gestation in chromosomally normal pregnancies

Objective To establish the relationship between fetal trunk and head volume,measured by three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound and gestational age at 11 + 0 to 13 + 6 weeks of gestation. Methods The fetal trunk and bead volume were measured using 3D ultrasound in 417 chromosomally normal fetuses from singleton pregnancies at 11 + 0 to 13 + 6 (median, 12 + 0) weeks of gestation. Regression analysis was used to determine the significance of the association between fetal volume and gestational age. The Bland-Altman analysis was used to compare the measurement agreement and bias for a single examiner and between different examiners. Results The fetal trunk and bead volume increased linearly with gestation from a mean of 5.8 mL at 11 + 0 weeks to 33.3 mL at 13 + 6 weeks and 1 SD was 4.4 mL. There was also a significant linear association between fetal volume and crown-rump length (CRL), from a mean of 5.1 mL at a CRL of 45 mm to 37.5 mL at a CRL of 84 mm and 1 SD was 2.7 mL. However, within this gestational range, a doubling in CRL, from a mean of 48 mm at 11 + 0 weeks to 79 mm at 13 + 6 weeks, was associated with a 5-6-fold increase in fetal volume. The mean difference in fetal volume between paired measurements by the same sonographer was -0.87 mL (95% limits of agreement, -2.31 to 4.05 mL) and the mean difference between paired measurements by two sonographers was -1.09 mL (-5.49 to 3.32 mL). Conclusions 3D ultrasound can provide a reproducible measurement of the fetal trunk and bead volume in early pregnancy. At between 11 + 0 and 13 + 6 weeks there is a 5-6-fold increase in fetal volume but only a doubling in CRL. Copyright (c) 2005 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.