Patient's question:
Medical Description: Female, 34 years old, pregnant 20 weeksUltrasound Report and Previous Treatment and Effect: Today, an ultrasound examination was performed with the following results:
Ultrasound Description: The fetal head is located in the lower and upper abdomen. The biparietal diameter (BPD) is approximately 5.0 cm and 4.9 cm. The spine is arranged neatly with natural curvature. The fetal heartbeat is strong. The placenta is located on the posterior wall of the uterus, with uniform echoes. The amniotic fluid depth is about 7.5 cm. The femur length is approximately 3.0 cm and 2.9 cm. The umbilical cord is not (not wrapped around the neck).
Help Needed: Please answer the following:
1. What is the biparietal diameter (BPD)? Is it within the normal range in this case?
2. What does "uniform echoes" mean?
Doctor's answer:
Biparietal diameter (BPD), also known as the biparietal diameter of the fetal head, refers to the length of the widest part between the left and right sides of the fetal head, also known as the "great transverse diameter of the head." An ultrasound measurement of BPD > 8.5 indicates fetal maturity. Doctors often use it to observe the child's development, determine whether there is cephalopelvic disproportion, and ensure a smooth delivery. At full term, it should be 9.3 cm or more. According to general patterns, after the fifth month of pregnancy, it generally corresponds to the gestational age. That is to say, at 28 weeks (7 months) of pregnancy, the BPD is approximately 7.0 cm, and at 32 weeks (8 months), it is approximately 8.0 cm, and so on. After the eighth month of pregnancy, an average growth of about 0.2 cm per week is considered normal. When the estimated date of delivery cannot be determined initially through CRL, BPD is often used to predict it; in the mid-pregnancy period, this data is also often needed to estimate fetal weight.