2 Pregnancy Assessment and Fetal Development Free Online FlashCards

From which date is gestational age counted?

Gestational age is counted from the first day of the last menstrual period (LMP), approximately two weeks before conception in a typical cycle.

Why can measured hemoglobin decrease during pregnancy?

Plasma volume rises more than red-cell mass, which can lower measured hemoglobin through dilution.

What does fundal height measure, and how is it used?

Fundal height is the distance from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus. Its pattern is compared with gestational age as a screening measure.

Around when is fetal movement often first perceived?

Fetal movement is often first perceived around 16–20 weeks, though timing varies.

When can cfDNA screening be offered, and which common trisomies does it screen for?

Cell-free DNA screening can be offered from about 10 weeks and is the most sensitive and specific screening option for the common trisomies 21, 18, and 13.

When are nonstress tests, biophysical profiles, and Doppler studies used?

Nonstress testing, biophysical profiles, and Doppler studies are additional assessments used when a maternal or fetal condition raises concern; they are not universal tests for every uncomplicated pregnancy.

How is the conventional estimated due date calculated from the LMP?

The conventional estimate is 280 days, or 40 weeks, after the LMP.

What steps make up Naegele’s rule?

Naegele’s rule adds seven days and subtracts three months from the LMP.

Which ultrasound method is most accurate for early pregnancy dating?

A first-trimester ultrasound using crown–rump length is the most accurate ultrasound method for establishing or confirming gestational age.

When is a pregnancy considered suboptimally dated?

A pregnancy without an ultrasound confirming or revising the estimated due date before 22 weeks is considered suboptimally dated.

What are the gestational-age boundaries of the three trimesters?

The first trimester ends at 13 weeks 6 days; the second runs from 14 weeks through 27 weeks 6 days; the third begins at 28 weeks and continues until birth.

How does prenatal screening differ from diagnostic testing?

Screening estimates probability; diagnostic testing examines fetal or placental material to determine whether a particular condition is present.