Use of customised symphyseal fundal height charts.

Abstract

This study attempts to evaluate the feasibility and applicability of using the customised charts developed for Indians or the Gestational Age +/- 2cm (GA+/- 2) chart for the detection of SGA infants. The sample consisted of 256 patients followed up until delivery, 81.3 percentage of the sample was found to be in their first or second pregnancies, and the average age of the mothers was foun!.... to be 29.99 years (SD 6). There were 5.1 percentage of premature deliveries. An average birth weight of 2.95 k.g. (SD 0.45) was observed. In the sample, 36 (14.1 percentage) )of the babies weighed less than 2.5 k.g. There a significant improvement in sensitivity in the diagnosis of SGA when using the customised chart or the GA+/- 2 Chart when compared to the FHB chart, with the GA+/- 2 Chart being superior. There is a significant reduction in specificity when comparing the three charts with the FHB, having the maximum (100 percentage) followed by the customised chart and the GA +/ - 2 chart. This sample showed no significant effect of parity on birth weight at term. Maternal BMI was found to have a significant influence on birth weight with mothers whose BMI exceeded 30 having babies whose mean weight was higher. In the absence of a customised chart for a Sri Lankan population, the GA+/- 2 chart or the customised chart for Indians, despite having a low sensitivity, is superior to the FHB chart and is useful as a screening test for SGA.