Routine third‐trimester ultrasound for the detection of small‐for‐gestational age in low‐risk pregnancies (ROTTUS study): randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT Objective To compare the proportion of small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) infants detected by routine third‐trimester ultrasound vs those detected by selective ultrasound based on serial symphysis–fundus height (SFH) measurements (standard care) in low‐risk pregnancy. Methods This was an open‐label randomized controlled trial conducted at a hospital in Kenya between May 2018 and February 2020. Low‐risk pregnant women were randomly allocated (ratio of 1:1) to routine ultrasound for fetal growth assessment between 36 + 0 and 37 + 6 weeks' gestation (intervention group) or to standard care, which involved a selective growth scan on clinical suspicion of fetal growth abnormality based on serial SFH measurements (control group). During ultrasound examination, fetal growth was assessed by measurement of the abdominal circumference (AC), and AC