🧬 Reproductive🔴 ApplicationAntenatal Care

Assessment of Gestational Age

The ways of working out how far a pregnancy has advanced, which guides care and the expected date of delivery.

Key points

Gestational age is how far a pregnancy has advanced, counted in completed weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period.
The expected date of delivery is estimated at about forty weeks from that date, adjusted if the cycles are irregular.
An early ultrasound, which measures the size of the embryo or fetus, is the most accurate way to date a pregnancy.
As pregnancy advances, the height of the top of the womb (the fundal height) gives a rough guide to the number of weeks.
After birth, the baby's gestational age can be estimated from physical and nerve-and-muscle features using a scoring system.

Memory trick

Gestational age is completed weeks from the last menstrual period (expected delivery about forty weeks); an early ultrasound dates it most accurately; fundal height gives a rough guide later; after birth a scoring system estimates it.

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🧬 Reproductive🔴 ApplicationAntenatal Care

Assessment of Gestational Age

The ways of working out how far a pregnancy has advanced, which guides care and the expected date of delivery.

Key points

Gestational age is how far a pregnancy has advanced, counted in completed weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period.
The expected date of delivery is estimated at about forty weeks from that date, adjusted if the cycles are irregular.
An early ultrasound, which measures the size of the embryo or fetus, is the most accurate way to date a pregnancy.
As pregnancy advances, the height of the top of the womb (the fundal height) gives a rough guide to the number of weeks.
After birth, the baby's gestational age can be estimated from physical and nerve-and-muscle features using a scoring system.

Memory trick

All of Obstetrics & Gynaecology More Reproductive