Correlation between Fetal Kidney Length and Gestational Age among Pregnant Women Attending Image Diagnostic Centre, Port-Harcourt, Nigeria
Ibinabo Fubara Bob-Manuel *
Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of basic Medical Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Nigeria.
Oghenefego Michael Adheke
Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of basic Medical Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Nigeria.
Lovelyn Onyinyechi Ekeanyanwu
Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of basic Medical Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: The obstetric management of a pregnancy depends on the knowledge of an accurate gestational age particularly in unregistered case.
Aim: The aim of the study is determine how accurately fetal kidney length (FKL) could estimate gestational age (GA) using ultrasonography.
Materials and Methods: The study involved 200 participants with 20 to 40 weeks pregnancies, referred to the Radiology Department of Image Diagnostic Center, Rumuola Port Harcourt for obstetric ultrasound scan, within a three-month period. The left and right fetal kidney lengths were measured and data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. Linear regression equations were deduced.
Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the measurements of the right and left kidneys. There was a strong positive correlation between gestational age (GA) and right kidney length (RKL) (r = .998, p < 0.01) and left kidney length (LKL) (r = .998, p < 0.01). Regression formulae used for predicting GA using right and left FKL was 9.9494(RKL) + 0.3058, and 9.9404(LKL) + 0.3468, respectively.
Conclusion: FKL proved to be a reliable predictor of gestational age of pregnancies in the second and third trimesters.
Keywords: Fetal kidney length, gestational age estimation, ultrasonography