1. Fundal Height: A Measurement of Fetal Growth
One of the most important parts of your prenatal appointments is checking the growth of your baby. Your doctor or midwife can use several techniques to determine fetal growth. One of the simplest is the measurement of fundal height. The fundus is the term used to refer to the top of a pregnant woman's uterus. Your doctor will measure the height from your pubic bone to the fundus. This measurement is usually done in centimeters, and after the twentieth week of pregnancy, the measurement in centimeters should correspond with the number of weeks you've reached in your pregnancy. A measurement that is low for the number of weeks can suggest a small baby.
This measurement on its own is not enough to make a diagnosis of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Your doctor will want to run more diagnostic tests to evaluate your baby's growth further.
2. Ultrasound: Taking a Closer Look Inside
One of the most common diagnostic tools in pregnancy is the ultrasound. The ultrasound is a test that uses sound waves to create a picture of internal structures. If you have an ultrasound during pregnancy, you'll have the opportunity to sneak a peek at your unborn child. But there is more to ultrasounds than just looking at the baby growing inside you. Doctors use ultrasounds to measure the fetus and assess its health. Measurements of the head and abdomen can be used to estimate the weight of the fetus and to compare its growth. A fetus with an estimated weight less than the tenth percentile will often be diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction. This means that the fetus weighs less than 90 percent of all other fetuses of the same gestational age. Some babies are simply small, but this measurement can also suggest that your baby is not growing sufficiently.
3. Using Doppler Flow to Diagnose IUGR
Another test that is frequently used to diagnose intrauterine growth restriction is Doppler flow. This test uses sound waves to measure blood flow. Your doctor will want to assess the blood flow in the umbilical cord and in the fetal brain. Poor blood flow is another indication that there are problems with the growth of the fetus.
4. Low Maternal Weight Gain
Women gain varying amounts of weight during pregnancy, and low maternal weight gain does not necessarily indicate problems. However, your doctor or midwife will weigh you at each appointment, as a small amount of weight gain can be a sign that the baby will be small. If your doctor is concerned about your low weight, you will likely be scheduled for other diagnostic tests to assess the growth and well being of your baby.
