(1046) Fetal Body Composition and Volumes Study

Friday, February 10, 2023

3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Objective: Classification of abnormal fetal growth as “restriction” or “overgrowth” during an ongoing pregnancy is an important clinical challenge. Fetal soft tissue may reflect some of the earliest changes that occur in pathologic growth compared to traditional 2-dimensional (2D) estimates of fetal biometry. The Fetal 3D Study was designed to develop research and clinical applications for fetal soft tissue and organ volume assessment.

Study Design: Data collected in the NICHD Fetal Growth Studies included 2D fetal biometrics and 3D fetal volumes which were banked. In the Fetal 3D Study, sonographers performed longitudinal 2D and 3D measures targeting specific fetal anatomic structures. Each woman with a singleton had up to six research ultrasound scans while twins had up to seven.

Results: Of 2,802 with a singleton, 2,751 (98.2%) had 2D abdomen or 3D available and were included in the Fetal 3D Study. Of these, 2,435 (88.5%) had at least one 3D available (while 11.5% had only 2D abdomen) and 2,333 (84.8%) had at least one 3D that was measured. Out of 171 with a twin, there were 165 (96.5%) included: all had at least one 3D volume available and 152 (92.1%) had at least one 3D volume measured. Volume types with highest number of measures available were for the cerebellum, abdomen (liver and kidney) and thigh, based on protocol prioritization. After the first trimester, availability of 3D decreased with advancing gestational age (Table). For fetal organs with left and right sides (lungs, kidneys, and adrenal glands), it was more common that either side was able to be measured rather than both sides. Reliable 2D and 3D fetal biometry measurements depended on several factors including examiner training and experience, image quality, technique used to scan anatomic structures, fetal movement and position, and availability of 3D ultrasound software tools that allow rapid and reproducible measurements.

Conclusion: Standardized procedures resulted in a large quantity of longitudinal fetal soft tissue and organ volume measurements from a diverse pregnant U.S. sample.

Primary & Presenting Author(s)

Katherine Grantz, MD,MSCR (she/her/hers)
Senior Investigator
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD, United States

Coauthor(s)

SH
Stefanie Hinkle, PhD
Assistant Professor
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
WL
Wesley Lee, MD
ZC
Zhen Chen, PhD
NICHD, NIH
Bethesda, Maryland, United States
LM
Lauren Mack, MPH, RDMS
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas, United States
Magda Sanz Cortes, MD, PhD (she/her/hers)
Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas, United States
LG
Luis Goncalves, MD
Phoenix Children's
Phoeniz, Arizona, United States
Jimmy Espinoza, MD, MSc (he/him/his)
Professor
McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center Houston. The Fetal Center- Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital
Houston, Texas, United States
RG
Rob Gore-Langton, PhD
Emmes Company
Rockville, Maryland, United States
SS
Seth Sherman, PhD
Emmes Company
Rockville, Maryland, United States
DH
Dian He, PhD
The Prospective Group, Inc
Bethesda, Maryland, United States
CZ
Cuilin Zhang, MD, PhD
NICHD, NIH
Bethesda, Maryland, United States
JG
Jagteshwar Grewal, PhD
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Bethesda, Maryland, United States