P08.07: Duration and number of second trimester screening fetal ultrasound examinations in women with normal and elevated body-mass-index

It was analysed if there is a difference in the duration of fetal ultrasound examination and number of visits in women with normal and elevated body-mass-index (BMI). We evaluated 652 women in the year 2003 (ATL HDI 5000) and 562 women in the year 2009 (Voluson 730/E8) with a singleton pregnancy and completed second trimester screening at our tertiary referral center. Duration of examination was routinely measured by the ultrasound machine. We evaluated the BMI, gestational age, former pregnancies, location of the placenta, and position of the fetus as well as the type of the ultrasound machine. We saw 460 (2003) and 393 (2009) women with a normal BMI and 192 (2003) and 169 (2009) women with a BMI above 30.0 kg/m2. The groups differed by a higher count of transverse lie in the obese patients (P < 0.001) causing additional examinations (P = 0.03). Duration of examination in normal BMI women was 37 min. (2003) and 29 min. (2009). In the obesity subgroup with patients having a BMI > 40 duration was 95 min. (2003) and 45 min. (2009), P = 0.001. The number of examinations was significantly higher in 2009 between all stages of obesity compared with normal BMI. In 2003 there was a significant longer duration only in patients with an BMI above 35. There is a significant longer duration of the ultrasound examination in second trimester screening in women with normal and elevated BMI. We also verified the significantly higher numbers of repetitive examinations reflecting the challenge in successful visualisation of fetal and materno-fetal structures. Obese pregnant women need more resources in diagnostic (and therapeutic) procedures and even then successful detection of anomalies is a challenging problem.