Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Biophysical profile
Introduction
Overview
Overview
A biophysical profile is a prenatal ultrasound evaluation of fetal wellbeing, involving a scoring system.
Components
Components
- The biophysical profile (BPP) has 5 components: 4 ultrasound (US) assessments and a nonstress test (NST).
- The US assessments are:
- amniotic fluid volume,
- fetal tone,
- fetal activity, and
- fetal breathing movements.
- Each component is graded either 0 or 2 points, and then added up to yield a number between 0 and 10.
- A BPP of 8 to 10 is generally considered reassuring.
Indication
Indication
A BPP normally is not performed before the second half of a pregnancy (fetal breathing movements do not occur in the first half.)
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]