what is bpd in ultrasound

BPD stands for Biparietal Diameter, which is a measurement taken during an ultrasound to assess the growth of a fetus. It is the diameter of the head, specifically the distance between the two parietal bones in the head. BPD is one of the most commonly measured fetal biometric parameters, and it is used to estimate gestational age and fetal size. During an ultrasound, a transducer is placed on the mothers abdomen, and sound waves are sent into the uterus. The sound waves bounce off the baby and are converted into images on a monitor. The technician or doctor then measures the BPD from these images. BPD is one of several parameters that are measured during a routine prenatal ultrasound, including head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC), and femur length (FL) . These measurements help to assess fetal growth and calculate gestational age.