How to predict fetal weight

After pregnancy, the growth and development of the fetus is what most pregnant mothers are more concerned about. As the fetus continues to grow, many pregnant mothers are more concerned about the current status of the fetus. If you can understand the weight of the fetus, you can judge whether the baby's growth and development is healthy. If the baby's weight is too light or too heavy, it will affect the baby's physical health and affect the baby's birth.

How to predict fetal weight?

During the first three months of pregnancy, the length of the fetus is mainly calculated by measuring the distance from the fetal head to the hips.

As the fetus develops, measure the fetal head circumference or the diameter between the two parietal bones starting from the 15th week of pregnancy. Abdominal circumference and femur length are measured to determine fetal size, and fetal weight is then measured.

Large errors in measuring fetal length, such as the position of the fetus' curl, and the size of the bones may lead to misinterpretation of the results.

Therefore, fetal weight will be used as the basis for assessing fetal growth rather than body length.

What determines the size of the fetus?

1) The height of the mother’s body. Pregnant women are petite and the fetus may be smaller and lighter. If the formula result obtained determines that the fetal weight is incorrect, judgment must be made based on individual differences.

2) Function of the placenta. Whether the placenta functions well in the uterus will also affect the weight of the fetus. If the placenta functions well, the baby gets enough oxygen and nutrition and will grow well.

3) Function of umbilical cord blood vessels. The umbilical cord is an important channel for transporting blood and nutrients to the fetus. If the umbilical cord is knotted, only a single umbilical artery or cystic hematoma will affect blood delivery and also affect the baby's weight.

4) Blood sugar levels. Sugar in moderation can help the growth of the fetus, so if the mother's blood sugar level is high, the fetus will grow larger and larger. For example, common gestational diabetes can cause a giant baby because the mother's blood sugar is too high.

5) The mother herself has metabolic hypertension. Pregnant women with preeclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension have greater vascular resistance, and the umbilical artery and placenta will function less well because blood is less able to pass through, the fetus will be smaller, and may even cause tortuosity and developmental delay.

6) Number of fetuses. The weight of multiple babies will definitely be less than that of a single baby, because the mother's nutrition is provided to two or three fetuses at a time, and more nutrition cannot be delivered, so the weight of the fetuses naturally decreases.

7) Maternal nutrient intake. Pregnant women must pay attention to whether their intake of vitamins, folic acid, protein and sugar is adequate to avoid malnutrition and cause fetal weight loss.

8) The mother suffers from iron deficiency anemia and thalassemia. Pregnant women like this usually have a low-birth-weight baby.