The gestational age of the fetus is a concept that can be defined as the period that the child spent in the womb from the moment of conception. Since the very moment of fertilization itself, as a rule, is difficult to calculate, gestation of the fetus is considered from the first day of the last menstrual period of the woman.
Determination of gestational age and gestational age
The term of pregnancy is calculated on the basis of data from numerous analyzes and height-weight measures of the child. Typically, the gestational age of the child is 2 weeks longer than the gestational age.
There are two ways to determine gestational age - obstetric and pediatric. In the first case, the age is determined before the birth of the child at the beginning of the last menstrual cycle, as well as the first movements of the fetus - in primiparous women this is usually 20 weeks, while for those with a repeat pregnancy, 18 weeks. In addition, the gestational age is determined by measuring the volume of the uterus, as well as by ultrasound scanning. The gestational age of a child after birth is determined by examining the signs of the maturity of the baby.
Gestational standards
It is known that a normal pregnancy lasts from 37 to 42 weeks. If childbirth occurred during this period, the child is considered full. At this time, the fetus is fully viable, has normal weight, height and fully developed internal organs. Birth of small children to normal gestation is not a pathology, because by the first year of life the child, as a rule, is catching up with the development of their peers, but may be accompanied by some complications, including hypertension and others.
A child who was born at the age of 28-37 weeks is considered premature . Such children require special care, and depending on the gestational age at the time of birth, they can spend in a specialized department of the maternity hospital for premature babies for up to three months.
Children born after 42 weeks, as a rule, have a more developed hairline, overgrown nails and increased excitability. A child who is carried is often at risk for child mortality and morbidity. Among the most common complications in such children: aspiration syndrome, CNS pathology, birth trauma and suffocation, infectious and inflammatory diseases.