Correlation Analysis of Insler's Technique and Ultrasonography in Estimating Fetal Weight in Preeclampsia

Abstract Background: Accurate fetal weight estimation plays a pivotal role in managing labor and delivery, ensuring optimal maternal and neonatal outcomes. In modern obstetrics, the overarching aim is to achieve the delivery of a healthy baby to a healthy mother. Fetal weight prediction relies primarily on clinical methods and ultrasonography. However, limited regional studies have compared the outcomes of clinical assessments and ultrasonography with actual fetal weight in pre-eclamptic primigravida and multigravida women. Aims and objectives: This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of fetal weight estimation using ultrasonography (USG) and clinical techniques in pre-eclamptic primigravida and multigravida women. The objective is to compare these methods against actual birth weights to determine the precision of each approach. Material and Methods: This research was done over a period of one year, beginning from March 2022 to February 2023; it was carried out in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department of BLDE (D.U.) Shri. B.M. Patil Medical College and Hospital, Vijayapura. Before the study commenced, patients were fully informed about it and provided written consent in line with the ethical guidelines set out by the Institute. As the study focused on preeclampsia patients, a sample of 130 was selected from a population frame of 453 preeclampsia patients who were admitted to BLDE Hospital's labour room between 28 weeks and the term gestation of pregnancy, using a stratified sampling technique. The sample size was estimated using the G*Power 3.1.9.4 tool, and it was determined to be 30% of the population frame of 453 preeclampsia patients, with a 95% confidence interval and a 5% margin for error. Results: The test results indicated that P = 0.000, which is less than 0.01, Pearson r = 0.871, and Alpha = 0.01. The correlation of U.S.G. fetal weight (0.871) with the actual birth weight is significantly higher compared to the clinical fetal weight correlation at a 1% significance level. The high association (0.871) indicates a robust correlation between the estimated ultrasound fetal weight and the actual birth weight, highlighting the accuracy of the ultrasound estimation. Conclusion: Accurate estimation of fetal weight during the intrauterine stage is crucial for planning delivery patterns, as it directly influences prognosis, neonatal survival rates, and the need for intensive care interventions. The study conclusively demonstrates that for pre-eclamptic Multigravida and Primigravida patients, the error in estimating the fetal weight using ultrasound (U.S.G.) was significantly lower than clinical estimates.