Influence of maternal obesity on the accuracy of ultrasonography birth weight prediction

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate whether the accuracy of ultrasound estimates of fetal weight (EFW) was dependent on maternal obesity.

Study design: A prospective cross-sectional study of 1064 singleton pregnant women classified according to body mass index (BMI) into two categories: normal (BMI < 25 kg/m², n = 863) and obese (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m², n = 201) was conducted. EFW were calculated using Hadlock’s formula, and the difference between EFW and the actual birthweight (absolute percent error) was analyzed in both groups. Spearman’s correlation was used to assess the relationship between ultrasound performance (absolute error), maternal BMI, and actual birth weight.

Results: Median absolute error of sonographic EFW was 5.90 and 6.47% for the normal and obese groups, respectively (p .38). A correlation between EFW and birth weight (BW) was found in both groups, r = 0.755 (p < .001) and r = 0.753 (p < .001), respectively. The correlation between absolute error, maternal BMI, and fetal birth weight was poor.

Conclusions: Maternal obesity is unrelated to the accuracy of sonographic EFW, and regardless of maternal or fetal size, ultrasound is currently an accurate method of prediction for both obese and normal weight pregnant women.

Keywords:

• Birthweight prediction
• estimated fetal weight
• maternal obesity
• pregnancy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.