Correlation of Maternal and Paternal Height and Weight with Selected Fetal Parameters during the 3rd Trimester of Pregnancy: A Hospital Based Study in Bangladesh

Abstract

Introduction: Fetal growth is influenced by parental height and weight. Maternal intrauterine environment contributes an important role in determining baby’s birth weight. However, a significant relationship also exists between the father's BMI and the baby's birth weight. But due to a  lack of information about the effects of paternal body proportions on fetal growth, the paternal function is less evident. Ultrasound scans are mostly used to estimate the fetal growth parameters throughout the pregnancy. Among them, biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL), abdominal circumference (AC) and estimated fetal weight (EFW) are the parameters that are most routinely taken in the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy. So, the findings of this study will contribute to enhance the knowledge of factors affecting the third trimester development and for better understanding of the physiological variations, probably produced by feto-maternal and feto-paternal interactions.
Methods: The study was cross-sectional analytical in nature. It included a total of 80 mother-father-fetus triad who attended for antenatal check up at the 3rd trimester of pregnancy between December 2023 and May 2024. The height and weight of the parents were measured and the mothers underwent ultrasonography from which the selected fetal parameters (BPD, FL, AC and EFW) were collected and recorded.
Results: All the fetal parameters (BPD, FL, AC and EFW) were found to have statistically significant positive correlations with maternal weight and maternal BMI, but only FL and EFW had statistically significant positive correlations with paternal BMI during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. None of the fetal parameters were found to have any statistically significant correlation with maternal and paternal height and paternal weight.
Conclusions: Maternal weight and parental BMI can be used as important indicators to assess fetal growth during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. This outcome will also be helpful in providing special attention to nutritional education and appropriate timely nutritional intervention of the couples at the pre-pregnancy stage and very early stage of pregnancy.

J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll 2025; 17(1): 33-41