Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of the Hadlock 3 model of fetal weight estimation among fetuses in a Nigerian population. Methods: A total of 2008 mothers with singleton term pregnancies admitted to the labour ward of Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital for planned delivery were recruited. Subjects who met the inclusion criteria were scanned within 24 hours prior to delivery. A greyscale high-resolution ultrasound machine, Sonoace 5500 (Medicol, Korea) with a 3.5 MHz transducer, was used to obtain sonographic measurements. The birth weights of the fetuses were estimated using the Hadlock 3 model. Actual neonatal weights were measured immediately after birth by an experienced midwife. Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to compare ultrasound-estimated fetal weight with actual birth weight. Results: The mean actual birth weight of neonates was 3.42 ± 0.36 kg, while the mean estimated weight using the Hadlock 3 model was 3.44 ± 0.45 kg. There was no statistically significant difference between the estimated mean weight and the actual weight (P < 0.05). The accuracy of the model was highest within the 3.00 to 3.99 kg weight range, with an ICC of 0.88 and 86% of estimates falling within ± 10% of actual birth weight. Conclusion: The Hadlock 3 model demonstrates a high intra-class correlation coefficient (0.88) for birth weights of 3.00–3.49 kg and predicts neonatal birth weight within ± 10% of actual weight in 86% of cases.
Effiong et al. (Sat,) studied this question.