Of the current ways to measure and monitor the placenta, Estimated Placental Volume (EPV) is the most ready for clinical implementation due to its ease to perform via a standard 2D ultrasound during prenatal care.

Three simple measurements taken during a standard prenatal ultrasound produce an Estimated Placental Volume (EPV), which is then input into an app that then outputs measurements against the normative curves of size for gestational age.

The health care provider measures the placenta’s width, height, and thickness. EPV measurements can begin at 20 weeks and continue every 3-4 weeks, similar to fetal growth scans.

The app displays the Estimated Placental Volume in cc units, relative to the range for a baby’s gestational age, highlighting whether the measurement is within the standard range, below 10th percentile or above 90th percentile.

Providers: EPV video tutorials ● Guide and manual

Further questions on how to implement EPV can be directed to Dr. Harvey Kliman, who, with his father, mathematician and engineer Merwin Kliman, created the Estimated Placental Volume equation. EPV enables a 3D curved object (a placenta) to be measured in 2D. The complex polynomial uses width, height and thickness to calculate the volume of a spherical cap from an imaginary cross-section through the middle of the cap.