Premium
The intrauterine ponderal index in relation to birth weight discordance in twin gestations
Author(s) -
Blickstein I.,
Manor M.,
Levi R.,
Goldchmit R.,
Weissman A.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/0020-7292(95)02391-o
Subject(s) - medicine , birth weight , gestation , fetus , gestational age , obstetrics , fetal weight , twin pregnancy , fetal growth , pregnancy , biology , genetics
Objective: To establish the relationship between the fetal ponderal index and birth weight discordance in twins. Method: The fetal ponderal index (estimated fetal weight ÷ femur length 3 ) was calculated in 86 pairs of twins delivered within 2 weeks of the last sonography and analyzed in relation to birth weight discordance. Results: A weak but significant correlation between fetal ponderal index and birth weight (r = 0.26, P < 0.0007) but no correlation with gestational age (r = 0.035, P = 0.65) were found. Members of concordant pairs (<15% birth weight difference) had a significantly higher fetal ponderal index compared with members of mildly (15–25%) discordant pairs (P < 0.02), but not as compared with members of severely discordant (>25%) pairs. Conclusion: The characteristics of the fetal ponderal index in twins are similar to those in singletons. Fetal size seems to be diminished in severe but not in mild discordants. However, in its present form, the fetal ponderal index is a poor predictor of discordant growth and therefore should be employed cautiously in twin gestations.