Gestational dates calculator
Producer:Jim Black
Summary:
In the antenatal clinic it is extremely important to know the date of the beginning of the pregnant woman's last normal menstrual period. From that we estimate the likely date the baby will be born, and at each antenatal visit we calculate the gestational age ? how many weeks have passed since the last period. That allows the midwife to assess foetal growth, and to know when to suspect the presence of twins or a growth abnormality.
This application invites the midwife to record the calendar date of the onset of the pregnant woman's last normal menstrual period. It then calculates the gestational age today, and the estimated date of delivery.
Not all women in the developing world use a solar calendar to estimate when their babies are due. Instead they use the phases of the moon, counting one more month of pregnancy each time they see the new moon. In many cases these women can also quite accurately describe the phase of the moon when their last period started. The application gives the midwife the option of entering the current gestational age in terms of lunar cycles. From this it converts to the solar calendar and estimates the date of the last period, and the probable date of delivery.