What is BDP on ultrasound during pregnancy: description of the indicator, norm, decoding of the research results

There is no woman who would not worry about the condition of the fetus inside. The embryo goes a huge development path from several cells to a full-fledged organism. To monitor all changes and eliminate fetal abnormalities, its development is monitored by ultrasound.

With the help of ultrasound photometry is done, that is, some important indicators are measured. But in this article we will pay more attention to the biparietal size of the head of a growing man (BDP). The interpretation of ultrasound - all data obtained using ultrasound, is given by the doctor. The results on paper are mostly just numbers. It is difficult to understand them without special medical knowledge. You need to have an idea of ​​what screening is. Then it will be clear what information is provided by the doctor of ultrasound diagnostics.

What is BDP on ultrasound during pregnancy

When a woman carries a child, she must undergo an ultrasound 3 times during pregnancy. Each time it is necessary to check such basic measurements as BPR, LZR and KTR. What is bipolar ultrasound during pregnancy? Biparietal size is the main indicator that displays the width of the fetal head. According to this indicator, doctors can judge whether or not there are developmental pathologies in the prenatal period. Already in the early stages, physicians are able to detect genetic mutations and malformations due to parameters such as the coccygeal-parietal size of the fetus (CTE), biparietal size (BDP) and fronto-occipital size (LZR).

Biparietal fetal size is measured exactly after the 20th week of pregnancy, when the first screening is performed. Ultrasound scan is the size between two temples. The information received is compared with the data corresponding to your deadline. All standards are listed in the table. With her data, which reflect the normal development, we will get acquainted later.

Weekly BDP

Since the baby in the womb of her mother develops very quickly, the indicators increase every week. All pregnant women want to know how quickly the fetus inside them develops, if there are any deviations.

The size of the fetal head is measured using ultrasound. Two other indicators (BDP and LZR) are correlated with the average values ​​that are considered the norm today.

We look at the rate of BDP on ultrasound during pregnancy. The norm is given in millimeters.

The table below shows the measurement rates from 14 to 24 weeks.

These data are averaged. That is, a deviation of 2 mm in one or the other direction is considered acceptable.

Pregnant Screening at Week 12

We examined what it means to BD on ultrasound during pregnancy. This is the distance between the parietal bones of a small head.

Between 12 and 14 weeks, an important ultrasound screening is performed. This study allows you to determine how the baby feels in the womb, how it develops. Ultrasound is done through the skin of the abdomen (transabdominally). By week 12, the BDP should be within 21 mm. Also at this time, the diameter of the chest (DHA) is measured. It should be 24 mm, KTR is approximately 51 mm at this time. Another important indicator is the thickness of the collar zone. Its value is a marker for the presence (absence) of Down syndrome. Normally, TVZ should be 0.71 - 2.5 mm.

The doctor also looks at the condition of the uterus, the amount of amniotic fluid, their purity or turbidity.

What deviations can be

We repeat what is BDP on ultrasound during pregnancy. This is a study of brain development. After all, the brain and heart are the most important organs of the child. If they develop incorrectly, the child may be born disabled.

When the BDP index does not meet normal values, the doctor can establish one of the following diagnoses:

• Delayed fetal development. Such a diagnosis is made if all other indicators do not go beyond acceptable boundaries, and the biparietal size is reduced. This can be observed for two reasons: the size of the brain is less than normal due to its underdevelopment or due to the lack of part of the brain tissue.
• Indicators LZR and BDP are exceeded, while others are in line with the norm. These are indications of hydrocephalus in the fetus. Popularly, this disease is called dropsy.
• The diagnosis of Down syndrome is made if the collar space is increased, heart defects are present and a decrease in the fronto-thalamic distance is diagnosed, and the size of the cerebellum is also less than normal. This is all measured at 23 weeks. In addition to these measurements, you also need to analyze the genome and take the mother’s blood for analysis.
• Tumors or cysts in the brain. If BDP increased due to a tumor, then mother is recommended to terminate the pregnancy artificially.

If the data obtained in the study are not too optimistic, the doctor prescribes an additional ultrasound. Perhaps there was a mistake. This often happens if the period is rather short or the study was conducted by an inexperienced doctor.

Measurements at 23 weeks of gestation

The next ultrasound is usually performed at 22-23 weeks. At the 6th month the baby is already fully formed. At this time, the brain and the entire central nervous system of the fetus are actively developing. Therefore, it is necessary to undergo an ultrasound scan in order to find out which biparietal and fronto-occipital size of the skull is at this stage of development of the baby.

What does BPD in ultrasound mean during pregnancy? This information directly speaks about the development of the future baby.

At this time, the indicators should be as follows:

• BPR - 52 - 64 mm.
• LZ - 67 - 81 mm.
• Growth at this time is approximately 20-26 cm.

At this time also measured:

• Femur. Its length is 38–42 mm.
• The tibia of the fetus is 36–42 mm.
• Fibula - 35–42 mm.

Brain activity at 23-24 weeks already corresponds to the newborn. They say that the baby is already beginning to dream at that time, smile, and remind mom of himself with light shocks.

If a child is born at this time, then such a birth is already classified as premature birth, and not a miscarriage. With the help of medical equipment in the hospital, it is possible to go out.

The health status of women in the 2nd and 3rd semesters

In addition to the parameters of the child, with the help of ultrasound, the state of amniotic fluid, as well as blood flow in the umbilical cord in the second semester are studied. Mom’s health is equally important. As you know, both organisms at this time are completely interconnected. The condition of the cardiovascular and nervous system of a woman also needs to be examined during pregnancy. In order for the birth to be successful, a woman needs to go to pregnant courses and gradually engage in physical and breathing exercises. At the 3rd semester, it is necessary to check the condition of the heart.

Intrauterine growth retardation

Gold and foreign currency reserves are generally obtained not by chance. Often, the expectant mother herself is guilty of intrauterine growth retardation. The causes of gold reserves can be:

1. Infection. When it occurs, a pathogen is established and treatment is prescribed to mom. If the infection has already damaged the brain of the child, there will be little sense from the treatment.
2. Oxygen starvation. This is a very dangerous condition for the child. A pregnant woman should walk 2 hours a day in the fresh air.
3. Fetoplacental insufficiency.

We already know what is BDP on ultrasound during pregnancy. This indicator with a developmental delay will be very small - below 18 mm at 14 weeks. In order to prevent such serious deviations, it is advisable to find out about pregnancy in the first weeks in order to follow all the doctor’s advice from the very beginning.

Hydrocephalus and microcephaly

With hydrocephalus, the head volume is greater than the average fetus. And with microcephaly in an unborn baby, the size of the head is smaller than it should be by a given gestational age.

This is not always associated with mutations or disease. Often, the child’s parents are short and relatively small in the bones of the skull (compared to most of the world's population). Then their child will also be smaller than the average newborn.

BDP at the end of pregnancy

Why are measurements taken in the 3rd trimester, if the BPR on ultrasound is fully consistent with the norm? The fact is that at the end of pregnancy, doctors need to know how much the size of the fetal head corresponds to the mother's genitals. If it is clear that it will be difficult for a woman to give birth on her own because of the large head of the baby, then she is advised to have a planned cesarean section.

If everything is foreseen in advance, then the woman will not have any complications during childbirth. However, a cesarean section is an operation that has its own risks, which also needs to be taken into account.

Prevention

We explained in detail what the BPR on ultrasound means. How to prevent the occurrence of abnormalities in the development of the embryo? For the fetus to develop normally, it needs certain conditions: daily walks in the fresh air and good nutrition of her mother, a measured rhythm of her life, the exclusion of heavy physical exertion and situations that cause nervous tension. A woman also needs a full sleep. If a lady is going to raise a baby alone, it will be very difficult for her. Therefore, doctors insist that the child needs to be planned. When planning, parents agree in advance about whether a woman will work during gestation, how long she will be engaged in labor activities.

Before conception, it is important for the expectant mother to undergo an examination. The presence of infections in the blood such as rubella, herpes virus and toxoplasmosis can lead to the loss of a child. Also, some couples are better off undergoing genetic research. This is especially important for those parents in whose families diseases of a hereditary nature were observed.

conclusions

We explained what is BDP on ultrasound during pregnancy, what is LZR and KTR. Doctors judge by these parameters whether the fetal brain is developing correctly.

For physicians, it is very important to know the norm of BDP. Ultrasound determines all the necessary indicators. Therefore, even in the womb, it is possible to determine deviations in the development of the fetus and prevent the birth of a terminally ill child.

In some cases, according to the indications of ultrasound, a woman is prescribed treatment, after which repeated fetal measurements are made.