In utero growth of the large-for-menstrual-age fetus.

In a cross-sectional study of 87 large-for-menstrual-age term infants, intrauterine growth was found to be linear, 34 g per day. Differences between diabetic and nondiabetic pregnancies were not evident.

Fetal weight estimates in diabetic gravid women.

Fetal weight in utero was estimated sonographically within one week of delivery in 70 live-born fetuses of diabetic gravidas. The best estimates of weight were obtained with formulas dependent on biparietal diameter, abdominal circumference, and femur diaphysis length, and with formulas using the two variables of femur diaphysis length and abdominal circumference. Use of a special formula for the fetus of a diabetic mother was not of additional benefit.

Recognition of the overgrown fetus: in utero ponderal indices.

In a cross-sectional study of 210 pregnancies resulting in above-average-sized term infants, ponderal and ponderal-like indices were found to be highly correlative with fetal overgrowth. Clinical usefulness, however, is limited because for each index, most large-for-gestational age infants remain unidentified.

Fetal weight estimates in late pregnancy with emphasis on macrosomia.

The effectiveness of three methods (Shepard et al, Hadlock et al, and Hansmann) for estimating fetal weight was evaluated in 150 patients at greater than 36 weeks menstrual age. All infants were greater than 2,500 at birth. Only the method of Hadlock et al did not systematically underestimate birth weight.