Fetal ConditionsNCT07169929
Fetal Transverse Thalamic Diameter and Assessment of Gestational Age as a Fetal Growth Parameter Using 2D Ultrasound
An observational study of Fetal Conditions, run by Cairo University at 1 site in Egypt.
Trial summary
The thalamus is a nuclear complex which located in the diencephalon of the brain. Its main function is to relay messages which affect the sensory and motor functions in the body. A lot of behavioral functions are accredited to it such as memory, learning, attention and language. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any age, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Fetal Conditions
- What is being tested?
- Measurement of fetal transverse thalamic diameter by 2dimensional abdominal ultrasound
- How many people
- 110 participants
- Where
- 1 siteEgypt
- Study dates
- 20 Sep 2025to 30 Mar 2026
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Study population: Healthy pregnant women who will meet the inclusion criteria and attend the feto-maternal unit in the department of obstetrics and gynecology faculty of medicine Cairo university consent to participate in the research study
Who may be able to join
- All pregnant women with singleton pregnancy with gestational age between 18 to 36 weeks
Who cannot join
- Women who are not sure of dates and don't have an US report with CRL measured in the first trimester
- Maternal obesity (BMI>35) as abdominal fat cause restriction in taking measurement
- Known case of DM or Hypertension or SLE
- Any fetal head or CNS anomalies
- Any maternal opiates and CNS drugs (methadone) IUGR
- Twins or multiple pregnancy
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: The Reliability of Measuring Transverse Thalamic Diameter in Determining the Gestational Age as a Fetal Growth Parameter Using 2D Ultrasound
The thalamus is a nuclear complex which located in the diencephalon of the brain. Its main function is to relay messages which affect the sensory and motor functions in the body. A lot of behavioral functions are accredited to it such as memory, learning, attention and language. (Sridar P,et al 2020) There is an automatic thalamic diameter measurement to estimate the thalamic diameter, with the measurement accuracy as good as the clinical assessment.( Sridar P,et al 2016) Transverse thalamic diameter increased significantly with increasing gestational age, head circumference, and trans-cerebellar diameter linearly, and normal range thalamic charts are presented. The guitar shape provided good reproducibility of thalamic diameter measures. (Sridar P,et al 2020) Also the evaluation of echogenic thalamus is beneficial, and can be considered as a new marker of fetal lung maturity. ( Rasheed FA, et al 2012).
Maternal hyperglycemia was significantly associated with an increase in the widths of fetal posterior lateral ventricles, cavum septum pellucidi, and cisterna magna and a decrease in fetal trans-cerebellar diameter with no difference was found between three groups in terms of fetal thalamus size (Ekin A. et al 2023).
Read more
However, little is known about the growth pattern of thalami during fetal life, and virtually nothing is known about the possible association of deviations from the normal growth pattern with the abnormal conditions. There is a study published on fetal thalami which compare the volumes of cerebral structures, including thalami, between two group's normally growing and growth-restricted fetuses and reported lack of significant difference in thalamic volumes between the two groups. (Elshal RS.etal 2023).
During fetal life, the thalamus increases in size between the ages of 20 to 43 weeks of gestation (Tutunji R et al 2018 ) The development of the thalamus is not a unified progress as it shows remarkable dynamism and heterogeneity ( Zheng et al., 2023) For example, before 35 weeks post-menstrual age ,morphological changes were relatively uniform across the thalamus, and after 35 weeks post menstrual age, deformation was more obvious at the rim than in the central part of the thalamus (Liu et al., 2021).
Prospective research ensures focused attention to the structures to be measured, with more clearly imaged by the operator and using variable contrast resolution to ensuring clarity of the measured structure and prevent any artefacts which prevent visualization. .( Sridar P etal 2020) While Ultrasound allows the measurement of the fetal brain in real time and has fewer artefacts from the movement of the fetus, it is operator dependent. (Bookstein S etal 2024).
- Conditions
- Fetal Conditions
- Being tested
- Measurement of fetal transverse thalamic diameter by 2dimensional abdominal ultrasound
- Keywords
- Transverse thalamic diameter - fetal growth - 2Dultrasound
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Measurement of fetal transverse thalamic diameter by 2dimensional abdominal ultrasoundOther
All pregnant women attending the feto-maternal unit with gestational age from 18 weeks to 36 weeks in the obstetrics and gynecology department in the faculty of medicine Cairo university Using curvilinear 2D transabdominal ultrasound probe of ultrasound machine either Voluson E10 GE or Nuewa I9 Elite Mindray.
The investigators will take all the biometry (Biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, femur length and trans-cerebellar diameter) and exclude any congenital anomalies in the scan.
Transverse thalamic diameter is to be measured by 2D ultrasound at the standard axial trans-cerebellar plane. A guitar shape representative structure is presented to demarcate the thalamic diameter.
Calculate the gestational age using transverse thalamic diameter from this equation Transverse thalamic Diameter( in mm)=0.912 x Gestational age in weeks -1.134) ( Sridar P, et al 2020)
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy pregnant women who will meet the inclusion criteria and attend the feto-maternal unit | Not described Receives: Other: Measurement of fetal transverse thalamic diameter by 2dimensional abdominal ultrasound |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Realibity of transverse thalamic diameter as a parameter for fetal growth
Correlation of measuring the transverse thalamic diameter in determining the gestational age between 18 weeks and 36 weeks according to this equation (Transverse thalamic Diameter( in mm)=0.912 x Gestational age in weeks -1.134) ( Sridar P, et al 2020)
Measured: 6months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted12 Sep 2025
- Study start20 Sep 2025
- Primary completion20 Mar 2026
- Study completion30 Mar 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Fetal ConditionsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Cairo UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 110 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Cairo University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Shaimaa Mostafa Mohammed Refaay El shemy, Cairo University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07169929
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Transverse thalamic diameter
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 5 Sep 2025
- Last updated
- 25 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 25 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Reliability of Measuring Transverse Thalamic Diameter in Determining the Gestational Age as a Fetal Growth Parameter Using 2D Ultrasound
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07169929
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Transverse thalamic diameter
- Conditions
- Fetal Conditions
- Keywords
- Transverse thalamic diameter - fetal growth - 2Dultrasound
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 110 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Cairo UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 20 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 20 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Mar 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 12 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The thalamus is a nuclear complex which located in the diencephalon of the brain. Its main function is to relay messages which affect the sensory and motor functions in the body. A lot of behavioral functions are accredited to it such as memory, learning, attention and language. (Sridar P,et al 2020) There is an automatic thalamic diameter measurement to estimate the thalamic diameter, with the measurement accuracy as good as the clinical assessment.( Sridar P,et al 2016) Transverse thalamic diameter increased significantly with increasing gestational age, head circumference, and trans-cerebellar diameter linearly, and normal range thalamic charts are presented. The guitar shape provided good reproducibility of thalamic diameter measures. (Sridar P,et al 2020) Also the evaluation of echogenic thalamus is beneficial, and can be considered as a new marker of fetal lung maturity. ( Rasheed FA, et al 2012).
Maternal hyperglycemia was significantly associated with an increase in the widths of fetal posterior lateral ventricles, cavum septum pellucidi, and cisterna magna and a decrease in fetal trans-cerebellar diameter with no difference was found between three groups in terms of fetal thalamus size (Ekin A. et al 2023).
However, little is known about the growth pattern of thalami during fetal life, and virtually nothing is known about the possible association of deviations from the normal growth pattern with the abnormal conditions. There is a study published on fetal thalami which compare the volumes of cerebral structures, including thalami, between two group's normally growing and growth-restricted fetuses and reported lack of significant difference in thalamic volumes between the two groups. (Elshal RS.etal 2023).
During fetal life, the thalamus increases in size between the ages of 20 to 43 weeks of gestation (Tutunji R et al 2018 ) The development of the thalamus is not a unified progress as it shows remarkable dynamism and heterogeneity ( Zheng et al., 2023) For example, before 35 weeks post-menstrual age ,morphological changes were relatively uniform across the thalamus, and after 35 weeks post menstrual age, deformation was more obvious at the rim than in the central part of the thalamus (Liu et al., 2021).
Prospective research ensures focused attention to the structures to be measured, with more clearly imaged by the operator and using variable contrast resolution to ensuring clarity of the measured structure and prevent any artefacts which prevent visualization. .( Sridar P etal 2020) While Ultrasound allows the measurement of the fetal brain in real time and has fewer artefacts from the movement of the fetus, it is operator dependent. (Bookstein S etal 2024).
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy pregnant women who will meet the inclusion criteria and attend the feto-maternal unit | – | Other: Measurement of fetal transverse thalamic diameter by 2dimensional abdominal ultrasound |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Healthy pregnant women who will meet the inclusion criteria and attend the feto-maternal unit in the department of obstetrics and gynecology faculty of medicine Cairo university consent to participate in the research study
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- All pregnant women with singleton pregnancy with gestational age between 18 to 36 weeks
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Women who are not sure of dates and don't have an US report with CRL measured in the first trimester
- Maternal obesity (BMI>35) as abdominal fat cause restriction in taking measurement
- Known case of DM or Hypertension or SLE
- Any fetal head or CNS anomalies
- Any maternal opiates and CNS drugs (methadone) IUGR
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Measurement of fetal transverse thalamic diameter by 2dimensional abdominal ultrasoundAll pregnant women attending the feto-maternal unit with gestational age from 18 weeks to 36 weeks in the obstetrics and gynecology department in the faculty of medicine Cairo university Using curvilinear 2D transabdominal ultrasound probe of ultrasound machine either Voluson E10 GE or Nuewa I9 Elite Mindray. The investigators will take all the biometry (Biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, femur length and trans-cerebellar diameter) and exclude any congenital anomalies in the scan. Transverse thalamic diameter is to be measured by 2D ultrasound at the standard axial trans-cerebellar plane. A guitar shape representative structure is presented to demarcate the thalamic diameter. Calculate the gestational age using transverse thalamic diameter from this equation Transverse thalamic Diameter( in mm)=0.912 x Gestational age in weeks -1.134) ( Sridar P, et al 2020) | Other | Healthy pregnant women who will meet the inclusion criteria and attend the feto-maternal unit |
Primary outcome
Realibity of transverse thalamic diameter as a parameter for fetal growth
Time frame: 6months
Correlation of measuring the transverse thalamic diameter in determining the gestational age between 18 weeks and 36 weeks according to this equation (Transverse thalamic Diameter( in mm)=0.912 x Gestational age in weeks -1.134) ( Sridar P, et al 2020)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 25 Jun 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Fetal Conditions, run by Cairo University at 1 site in Egypt.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Egypt. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Realibity of transverse thalamic diameter as a parameter for fetal growth (time frame: 6months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 25 Jun 2026.