A comparison of fetal abdominal circumference measurements and Doppler ultrasound in the prediction of small‐for‐dates babies and fetal compromise

A total of 145 pregnancies clinically suspected of being small‐for‐dates was studied at presentation with a single measurement of the fetal abdominal circumference and Doppler studies of the umbilical and arcuate arteries. The abdominal circumference measurement gave the best prediction of the small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) baby (sensitivity 73%, umbilical artery sensitivity 47%, arcuate artery sensitivity 29%). The umbilical artery measurement gave the best prediction of antenatal fetal compromise; the performance of the tests was compared for a fixed sensitivity of 100% (i. e. all cases of antenatal compromise would be detected), the specificity of the umbilical artery measurement was 77%, abdominal circumference measurement 12% and arcuate artery measurement 2%. In our data, umbilical artery studies were not a sensitive predictor of the SGA baby but they did give an accurate prediction of the potentially compromised SGA fetus.