Abstract:

INTRODUCTION: One of the most important parameters to assess the fetal well-being status is fetal weight. It has been known that fetal weight is effected by many characteristics such as maternal weight, stature, smoking habit, parity and ethnicity in addition to fetal gender. In the present study our aim was to assess whether fetal gender had any impact on ultrasonographic BPD, HC, AC, FL and EFW measurements in low-risk singleton pregnancies. METHODS: Fetal ultrasonographic measurements were made on the 15-22, 23-26, 27-30, 31-34, 35-38 and 39-40th weeks of gestation seperately and EFWs were calculated. It was evaluated whether any significant difference existed between the two genders on these gestational weeks. Statistical analyses were made using chi-square, student’s t and Mann-Whitney U tests where appropriate. RESULTS: In terms of actual birth weight, male newborns were significantly heavier. Of the sonographic measurements, only HC on 39-40th gestational weeks were significantly greater in male fetuses. In male fetuses there was a good-very good correlation between actual birth weight and AC and EFW. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In our study, we determined that fetal gender does not have any impact on antenatal sonographic measurements except for HC was measured greater in male fetuses on the 39-40th gestational weeks. Moreover, it was observed that fetal sonographic parameters were significantly correlated with the actual birth weights and that there was a good correlation between EFW and actual birth weight irrespective of the fetal gender.

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