Ultrasonic measurement of foetal biparietal diameter and its correlation to gestational age in the Garhwali population

Accurate knowledge of the maturity of the foetus influences management of antepartum care of a patient, planning of appropriate therapy or intervention, perinatal morbidity and mortality. Measurement of Biparietal diameter by ultrasound has proved to be a useful and accurate method for determining gestational age and maturity of the foetus. In the present study foetal Biparietal diameter was measured in 25 Garhwali women during normal pregnancy between 12–40 weeks of pregnancy and noted that the mean Biparietal diameter of cranium between 12–16 weeks of gestation was 29.74 ± 4.95 mm and it attained a maximum mean of 90.58 ± 2.68 at full term pregnancy (36–40 weeks). This study showed that the gestational age calculated from the regression equation for the Biparietal diameter correlates well with the actual gestational age, so biparietal diameter is a good parameter for assessing maturity of the foetus.