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What Does High BPD And Low OFD/HC During Pregnancy Indicate?
Question: 18 week ultrasound, all measurements seem normal (at 75%+) but OFD was 5.06 and HC was 14.52 (cm), which is about 34% (BPD was 4.1). Head seemed normally shaped and doc not worried, but why normal-high BPD but low OFD/HC?
Brief Answer:
PLEASE UPLOAD THE SCAN REPORT.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thanks for writing to us with your health concern.
Can you please upload the ultrasound scan report ( not the images ) .
I would like to have a look and then specifically guide you.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Take care.
PLEASE UPLOAD THE SCAN REPORT.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thanks for writing to us with your health concern.
Can you please upload the ultrasound scan report ( not the images ) .
I would like to have a look and then specifically guide you.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I have uploaded the doppler results and the doc's summary. That was the final page
Brief Answer:
EXPLAINED BELOW
Detailed Answer:
Thank you.
First out - the report is normal, so do not worry.
Your query is justified, and if you wish, I will elaborate on the details to reassure you.
The BPD is the most reliable indicator of measuring the growth of the baby.
OFD and HC are more affected by the position and movements of the baby.
Even so, each measurement has intrinsic error margins, for example, if two different sonographers measure the baby, or even the same person measures on two different occasions, there will be some variation.
This is called SD - standard deviation.
As long as the parameters fall within a normal RANGE, absolute values are not much important.
At 18 weeks, the SD margin is plus or minus 2 weeks.
So if the OFD and HC are falling in the range measured for 16 weeks - 20 weeks, it is essentially normal, and does not indicate an abnormal value.
Your measurements are well within the range.
Am attaching a link where there is a week - wise chart for what the normal ranges of these values should be.
Again, as you would see, the values fall in the normal range.
At times, one parameter might measure more or less than the other, but as long as it does not exceed the acceptable normal range, it is fine.
http://www.baby2see.com/medical/charts.html
THis is the link I mention.
The composite gestational age ( average of all parameters taken together ) is what matters.
Bottomline - your report is normal.
Please feel free to ask for further explanation if you so desire.
Take care.
EXPLAINED BELOW
Detailed Answer:
Thank you.
First out - the report is normal, so do not worry.
Your query is justified, and if you wish, I will elaborate on the details to reassure you.
The BPD is the most reliable indicator of measuring the growth of the baby.
OFD and HC are more affected by the position and movements of the baby.
Even so, each measurement has intrinsic error margins, for example, if two different sonographers measure the baby, or even the same person measures on two different occasions, there will be some variation.
This is called SD - standard deviation.
As long as the parameters fall within a normal RANGE, absolute values are not much important.
At 18 weeks, the SD margin is plus or minus 2 weeks.
So if the OFD and HC are falling in the range measured for 16 weeks - 20 weeks, it is essentially normal, and does not indicate an abnormal value.
Your measurements are well within the range.
Am attaching a link where there is a week - wise chart for what the normal ranges of these values should be.
Again, as you would see, the values fall in the normal range.
At times, one parameter might measure more or less than the other, but as long as it does not exceed the acceptable normal range, it is fine.
http://www.baby2see.com/medical/charts.html
THis is the link I mention.
The composite gestational age ( average of all parameters taken together ) is what matters.
Bottomline - your report is normal.
Please feel free to ask for further explanation if you so desire.
Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks - that helps me to understand. One more question - you say that the composite GA is what matters - the GA is 18 weeks 1 day, while the actual is 18 weeks 5 days (at the time of the US) - is that within an acceptable range for composite age?
Brief Answer:
WITHIN NORMAL RANGE
Detailed Answer:
Hi again.
Yes, the composite age is well within the normal range.
The menstrual age is 18 weeks 5 days, and the sonographic age is 18 weeks 1 day.
Second trimester scans have an inherent error margin of upto 8 days, and again the standard deviation is upto plus or minus 2 weeks.
So you are in the entirely ' normal ' range.
WITHIN NORMAL RANGE
Detailed Answer:
Hi again.
Yes, the composite age is well within the normal range.
The menstrual age is 18 weeks 5 days, and the sonographic age is 18 weeks 1 day.
Second trimester scans have an inherent error margin of upto 8 days, and again the standard deviation is upto plus or minus 2 weeks.
So you are in the entirely ' normal ' range.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
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