Use of Foot Measurements as Sonographic Parameter for Estimation of Fetal Age

Objectives: this research was conducted to describe the ultrasonic measurements of the foot full measurements (FFM) and their importance in the antenatal care (ANC). Material and methods: the Descriptive quantitative cross-sectional study conducted in the ultrasound department at Alshaekh Mohammed Ali Fadol hospital in Omdurman locality. The study included 400 healthy Sudanese pregnant women whom in the 1st (late), 2nd and 3rd trimesters (i.e., after 10 weeks gestational age) of different parity and ages (15 years old and above); they have regular menstrual cycle and well certain of their last menstrual period and calculated date of delivery. Ultrasonographic measurement of Full Foot Length1 (FFL1), Foot Full Length2 (FFL2), and Foot Full Width (FFW) of all pregnant women were done. Sonographically we measured fetal foot from 14 to 40 weeks of gestation. Results: the study revealed that the mean FFL1 was 58.7 ± 12.9 mm. The minimum measurement was 18.8 mm, and the maximum was 89.1 mm, while the mean value of FFL2 was 53.4 ± 11.4 mm, with minimum value 17.5 mm and maximum 81.7 mm, and the mean FFW was 23.7 ± 5.1 mm, with minimum value 7.0 mm and maximum 38.0 mm. Conclusion: a strongly significant relationships were observed between (FFL1, FFL2, FFW) and gestational age (p = 0.00). However there is no significant difference between the FFL1, FFL2, and correlations with sex of embryo, residence, occupation, parity, maternal height, socioeconomic status, bleeding during this pregnancy, chronic illness, and caesarian section, moreover there are significant correlations between the FFL1, FFL2 and the (maternal age, maternal weight, and body mass index), but in the measurement of the fetal FFW there were no significant correlations with (sex of embryo, maternal age, body mass index, residence, occupation, parity, socioeconomic status, bleeding during this pregnancy, chronic illness, and caesarian section). Also there are significant correlations between the FFW and the maternal weight and height.