Scientific Reports

New reference values for ultrasound fetal biometry in Japanese population and comparison with other studies

S Sumito Nagasaki K Keisuke Ishii Y Yoshitaka Murakami A Anna Tsutsui N Nobuhiro Hidaka H Hironori Takahashi K Kiyotake Ichizuka K Kei Miyakoshi K Kiyonori Miura S Susumu Miyashita Y Yoshimasa Kamei M Masahiko Nakata Y Yohei Onodera (Center for Basic Research on Materials, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan) H Hiroaki Aoki A Atsuo Kiuchi M Mariko Inoue R Ritsuko K. Pooh K Katsuhiko Naruse S Shigenori Iwagaki A Akihito Morita M Mariko Serizawa K Kotaro Iino S Satoru Ikenoue S Shigeru Inoue J Jun Yamauchi T Tomohiko Ishida K Kazuya Abe M Madoka Tsuzuki S Sumiko Hasegawa A Asuka Higuchi M Mariko Tomosaka M Momo Kawanami I Ikumo Tanaka M Masamichi Hoshino H Hirotada Suzuki M Manabu Ogoyama K Kenji Horie K Kayo Takahashi T Tomoyuki Kuwata Y Yuka Yamamoto N Nana Matsuzawa K Koyo Yoshida N Naoko Suga A Ai Takamizu A Akari Koizumi K Kenji Kanenishi Y Yasuyuki Fujita R Ryo Kiyokoba H Hiroshi Masaoka H Hideo Matsuda M Maki Sekihara A Atsushi Yoshida (Neuronal Networks Section, Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health) S Shintaro Maki T Tomoaki Ikeda K Kayo Tanaka H Hiroaki Tanaka E Eiji Kondo M Masafumi Nii S Shoichi Magawa S Sho Takakura M Mizuki Yamaguchi M Mikiko Nishioka T Toshiyuki Hata A Aya Koyanagi K Ken Miyazaki K Katsusuke Ozawa R Rika Sugibayashi S Seiji Wada (Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University) J Jin Muromoto Y Yuri Hasegawa N Naoki Okimoto K Kazufumi Haino S Shoji Satoh N Naoko Koyama H Hisashi Masuyama E Eriko Eto A Akiko Ohira K Kazumasa Tani Y Yoko Nagayasu T Tetsu Wakimoto A Akihiko Kikuchi S Sachi Kijima S Shunsuke Tamaru S Shigeru Itoh S Saori Tanaka M Masayuki Someya T Takeshi Murakoshi H Hiroko Konno N Norihiko Kikuchi R Ryu Matsuoka Y Yuka Yamashita M Maya Machi K Katsufumi Otsuki R Reina Komatsu M Minako Goto A Ayumi Okuyama J Junichi Hasegawa N Natsumi Furuya C Chika Homma H Hajime Ota T Takashi Yoshimasu E Eijiro Hayata M Makiko Shimabukuro H Hikari Kotaki M Mayumi Takano M Misako Iwata R Rie Oi M Mao Sakura A Arihiro Shiozaki A Akitoshi Nakashima E Emi Kondo H Hidetaka Hayashi H Hirokazu Yorioka

Abstract

Abstract Given the decline in birthweights over the past 30 years in Japan and advancements in ultrasound technology, this study aimed to establish new reference values for ultrasound fetal biometry in Japan and to compare them with international and Asian studies. We conducted a cross-sectional prospective study involving singleton pregnancies who received prenatal checkups at obstetric facilities across Japan. During routine prenatal care, ultrasound measurements—biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC), and femur length (FL)—were recorded. Estimated fetal weight (EFW) was calculated using both the Shinozuka formula, commonly used in Japan, and the Hadlock-3 formula, widely used internationally. Using the collected data, we developed gestational-age-specific reference values for BPD, HC, AC, FL, and EFW by applying best-fitted fractional polynomial regression, and compared them with existing international standards and reference values from other Asian countries. The mean EFW calculated by the Hadlock formula in this study tended to be smaller than that reported in other international studies, and BPD, HC, AC, and FL were also generally smaller than those observed in other Asian references. These findings indicate that fetal biometry values in the Japanese population are smaller not only than international standards but also compared with those from other Asian countries, and suggest that these population-specific data may contribute to improving the accuracy of fetal growth assessment in Japan and other parts of Asia.

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Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 15, Issue 1
Published August 20, 2025
ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher Nature Portfolio

Journal Info

Scientific Reports

Nature Portfolio
ISSN: 2045-2322 Open Access Life Sciences

Authors (113)

S

Sumito Nagasaki

K

Keisuke Ishii

Y

Yoshitaka Murakami

A

Anna Tsutsui

N

Nobuhiro Hidaka

H

Hironori Takahashi

K

Kiyotake Ichizuka

K

Kei Miyakoshi

K

Kiyonori Miura

S

Susumu Miyashita

Y

Yoshimasa Kamei

M

Masahiko Nakata

Y

Yohei Onodera

Center for Basic Research on Materials, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan

H

Hiroaki Aoki

A

Atsuo Kiuchi

M

Mariko Inoue

R

Ritsuko K. Pooh

K

Katsuhiko Naruse

S

Shigenori Iwagaki

A

Akihito Morita

M

Mariko Serizawa

K

Kotaro Iino

S

Satoru Ikenoue

S

Shigeru Inoue

J

Jun Yamauchi

T

Tomohiko Ishida

K

Kazuya Abe

M

Madoka Tsuzuki

S

Sumiko Hasegawa

A

Asuka Higuchi

M

Mariko Tomosaka

M

Momo Kawanami

I

Ikumo Tanaka

M

Masamichi Hoshino

H

Hirotada Suzuki

M

Manabu Ogoyama

K

Kenji Horie

K

Kayo Takahashi

T

Tomoyuki Kuwata

Y

Yuka Yamamoto

N

Nana Matsuzawa

K

Koyo Yoshida

N

Naoko Suga

A

Ai Takamizu

A

Akari Koizumi

K

Kenji Kanenishi

Y

Yasuyuki Fujita

R

Ryo Kiyokoba

H

Hiroshi Masaoka

H

Hideo Matsuda

M

Maki Sekihara

A

Atsushi Yoshida

Neuronal Networks Section, Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health

S

Shintaro Maki

T

Tomoaki Ikeda

K

Kayo Tanaka

H

Hiroaki Tanaka

E

Eiji Kondo

M

Masafumi Nii

S

Shoichi Magawa

S

Sho Takakura

M

Mizuki Yamaguchi

M

Mikiko Nishioka

T

Toshiyuki Hata

A

Aya Koyanagi

K

Ken Miyazaki

K

Katsusuke Ozawa

R

Rika Sugibayashi

S

Seiji Wada

Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University

J

Jin Muromoto

Y

Yuri Hasegawa

N

Naoki Okimoto

K

Kazufumi Haino

S

Shoji Satoh

N

Naoko Koyama

H

Hisashi Masuyama

E

Eriko Eto

A

Akiko Ohira

K

Kazumasa Tani

Y

Yoko Nagayasu

T

Tetsu Wakimoto

A

Akihiko Kikuchi

S

Sachi Kijima

S

Shunsuke Tamaru

S

Shigeru Itoh

S

Saori Tanaka

M

Masayuki Someya

T

Takeshi Murakoshi

H

Hiroko Konno

N

Norihiko Kikuchi

R

Ryu Matsuoka

Y

Yuka Yamashita

M

Maya Machi

K

Katsufumi Otsuki

R

Reina Komatsu

M

Minako Goto

A

Ayumi Okuyama

J

Junichi Hasegawa

N

Natsumi Furuya

C

Chika Homma

H

Hajime Ota

T

Takashi Yoshimasu

E

Eijiro Hayata

M

Makiko Shimabukuro

H

Hikari Kotaki

M

Mayumi Takano

M

Misako Iwata

R

Rie Oi

M

Mao Sakura

A

Arihiro Shiozaki

A

Akitoshi Nakashima

E

Emi Kondo

H

Hidetaka Hayashi

H

Hirokazu Yorioka

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