FetalBoneData: an R data package collating raw measurements of fetal bones across different gestational stages

Objectives Raw data of fetal measurements is often difficult to track down in the literature, and researchers are often limited to comparing their own original data to summary tables in synthetic volumes, or investing considerable time and resources into collecting this data themselves. Here, we present the R data package ‘FetalBoneData’, which we hope will improve access to such datasets. Methods Data was sourced from the literature (primarily Fazekas and Kósa’s (1978), which is long out of print) and work by the lead author. This was collated into a series of.csv files, before being put together into an R data package. Results We apply the data in this package to compare the measurements of the humerus in a 19th Century fetal collection (Liverpool fetal collection, this paper) against that reported by Fazekas and Kósa (1978) as a case study of the utility of the package. Discussion The benefit of publishing such data in an open-source format, easily accessible through a popular statistical package, can significantly improve the availability of this type of data. It is hoped that data will be continuously added to the package, further improving its utilization.