The Binary Cellular Biology of Human Growth: II. Calculating the Size of the Human Fetus from the Size of its Parts

ABSTRACT

Assessing and understanding the Size of the human fetus provides essential information for the management of the health of the newborn and its mother, a quality that is commonly measured by Fetal Ultrasound. Many equations for making such calculations have been considered, none of which have been entirely satisfactory. As we have shown in the previous paper in this series, a consideration of the formation of the body, in units of numbers of cells, N, an approach we call Binary Cellular Analysis, provides new quantitative tools for estimating the Size and Age of the fetus. These tools include a new mathematical basis for creating useful expressions, Binary Cellular Estimated Fetal Weight Equations, for calculating human Fetal Weight from Ultrasound Measurements. As we show here, the most promising of these expressions, the Abdominal Circumference Binary Cellular Estimated Fetal Weight Equation, performs better than other currently used Fetal Weight Equations, while also yielding up new methods for improving ultrasound size assessment. Web-based calculators (https://kidzgrowth.com) make these mathematical manipulations available for obstetric care.