Variation of Fetal Nasal Bone Length in Second-Trimester Fetuses According to Race and Ethnicity

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of race and ethnicity on the expected nasal bone length (NBL) based on biparietal diameter (BPD) measured in second‐trimester fetuses. Methods We searched our ultrasound, obstetric, and cytogenetic databases for all second‐trimester...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of ultrasound in medicine 2005-11, Vol.24 (11), p.1487-1489
Main Authors: Zelop, Carolyn M, Milewski, Elizabeth, Brault, Kimberly, Benn, Peter, Borgida, Adam F, Egan, James F. X
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Americans
Asian Americans
European Continental Ancestry Group
Female
fetal nasal bone
Gestational Age
Hispanic Americans
Humans
Nasal Bone - diagnostic imaging
Nasal Bone - embryology
Pregnancy
Retrospective Studies
second-trimester sonography
Ultrasonography, Prenatal
variation by race and ethnicity
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of race and ethnicity on the expected nasal bone length (NBL) based on biparietal diameter (BPD) measured in second‐trimester fetuses. Methods We searched our ultrasound, obstetric, and cytogenetic databases for all second‐trimester fetuses with measured NBLs. Fetuses with Down syndrome were identified and excluded from the analysis. Linear regression curves were generated for NBL by BPD according to race and ethnicity. Categories used were African American, Hispanic, Asian, and white. Analysis of variance was used to compare mean variation of observed from expected NBL by BPD according to race and ethnicity. Results There were 717 fetuses with NBL‐by‐BPD pairs who were available for analysis in our population, including 139 African American, 58 Hispanic, 22 Asian, and 498 white fetuses. Nasal bone length was highly correlated with BPD for each race (P < .001). Mean variances of observed from expected NBL by BPD were statistically different according to race or ethnicity (P = .0092). Conclusions Race and ethnicity significantly affect the mean regression line of expected NBL by BPD among fetuses in the second trimester. Genetic sonographic norms, therefore, appear to require race‐ and ethnicity‐specific formulas for NBL.
ISSN:0278-4297
1550-9613
DOI:10.7863/jum.2005.24.11.1487