Authors : Mehmet Can Gunduz, Ozge Turna, Melih Ucmak, Sinem Apaydin, Guven Kasikci, Bulent Ekiz and Nazan Ince Gezer
Abstract: The aims of the current study were to evaluate the accuracy of fetal measurements measured by real time ultrasound to predict the gestational week during mid to late pregnancy and to establish regression equations to estimate the gestation week in singleton and twin pregnancy Kivircik ewes, separately. Data were collected from 25 Kivircik ewes (10 singleton and 15 twin pregnancy) by scanning weekly from 8-20 weeks of gestation. Fetal measurements investigated in the study were biparietal diameter, trunk diameter, fetal heart diameter, fetal heart rate and intercostal space. With the exception of fetal heart rate, all the fetal measures were significantly (p<0.001) (r2>80) correlated with the gestational age for singleton and twin pregnancies. The highest coefficient of determination for singleton pregnancy was 0.955 for biparietal diameter, whereas the smallest coefficient of determination corresponded to the fetal heart rate (r2 = 0.473). The highest coefficient of determination for twin pregnancy was 0.946 for heart diameter, the smallest coefficient of determination to the fetal heart rate (r2 = 0.611). In conclusion, the gestational week of Kivircik ewes can be accurately estimated by ultrasound measuring of biparietal diameter, trunk diameter, heart diameter and intercostal space.
Mehmet Can Gunduz, Ozge Turna, Melih Ucmak, Sinem Apaydin, Guven Kasikci, Bulent Ekiz and Nazan Ince Gezer, 2010. Prediction of Gestational Week in Kivircik Ewes Using Fetal Ultrasound Measurements. Agricultural Journal, 5: 110-115.