ESTIMATING GESTATIONAL AGE
You'll know the age of your baby by...
Early prenatal care - counting from the first day of last menstrual period.
Quickening - fetal movements are first described as jerky and convulsive at 9 weeks.
16 weeks, fetal muscle movement is strong enough to activate receptors on the maternal abdominal wall, which mother interprets as "the baby moving".
In general, quickening occurs between 18-20 weeks.
The general guideline for determining EDD based on quickening is to add 22 weeks for primigravida and 24 weeks for multipara to the date of quickening.
Auscultation of FHT (fetal heart tone)
Stethoscope - occurs at 20 weeks
Delee fetoscope - 17-19 weeks.
Fundic height - measured at 20 weeks and above using a tape measure.
•Pelvis: less than 12 weeks
•Symphysis pubis: 12 weeks
•Umbilicus: 20 weeks
•Xiphoid process: 36 weeks
Department of Health (DOH) prescribes in its Home-based Maternal Birth Record (HMBR) the following fundic height levels in the second half of pregnancy:
•5th month gestation: 20 cm
•6th month gestation: 21-24 cm
•7th month gestation: 25-28 cm
•8th month gestation: 29-30 cm
•9th month gestation: 31-34 cm
Ultrasonography - gestational age may be assessed more accurately using ultrasound.
ESTIMATING GESTATIONAL AGE: McDONALD'S RULE
Formula:
A. Computing in lunar months, multiply the fundic height by two, then divide by seven.
FH (in cm) x 2
-------- = gestational age
7 in lunar months
Sample Problem: what is the estimated gestational age in months if the fundic height is 31.5 cm?
Solution..
31.5 x 2 64
---- = -- = 9 months
7 7
(Zapz' note: it's awesomeee guys!! Try to compute and look what the DOH prescribed in HMBR about FH levels above. Sooo cooool! ^_^ I'll give you quiz at the end of this chapter)
B. Computing in weeks, multiply the fundic height by eight, then divide by seven.
Formula:
FH (in cm) x 8
------- = gestational age
7 in weeks
Sample Problem: What is the estimated gestational age in weeks if the fundic height is 36 cm?
Solution..
36 x 8 288
--- = -- = 41-42 weeks
7 7
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Nurse Z
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