Accurate gestational dating.

Gestational age by four ultrasonic parameters (biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, and femur length) was calculated for 210 normal obstetric patients divided into four gestational age groups based on time of first ultrasound examination. Accuracy of the calculations was determined by comparison of each technique and a simple arithmetic average of the four techniques to the gestational age calculated from the Dubowitz examination of the neonate after delivery. The analysis indicated that each ultrasonic technique has certain advantages and disadvantages, but that the simple arithmetic average of the four techniques had the lowest systematic and random error.