If the pregnancy is progressing normally the fundal height above the symphysis pubis is roughly equal to each week of pregnancy. Measurements of fundal height are most accurate between 32 to 33 weeks.
What is the gestational age based on fundal height measurement?
The gestational age based on the fundal height measurement is seven months. b. If Abebech is really seven months pregnant, you would expect her abdomen to measure about 28 cm from her pubic bone to the top of the uterus, i.e. approximately one centimetre for each week of pregnancy dated from the LNMP.
What should my fundal height be at 20 weeks pregnant?
After about 20 weeks of pregnancy, your fundal height in centimeters should be close to your baby's gestational age. For example, if you are 24 weeks pregnant, your fundal height should be around 24 centimeters. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission.
When does the fundus reach its highest point during pregnancy?
By the time you reach 20 weeks, your fundus is at your belly button. This is about the time your fundal height and week of pregnancy begin to match one another. At around 36 weeks, your fundus reaches your sternum or breastbone (the highest point it will reach). After 36 weeks, your fundal height can decrease.
Why is my fundal height so high during pregnancy?
Sometimes there is no cause and your baby is just bigger than other babies the same age. Other times, your fundal height is large because your abdomen is overstretched from prior pregnancies or your bladder is full. What is a normal fundal height after delivery?
When is fundal height most accurate?
The expectation is that after week 24 of pregnancy the fundal height for a normally growing baby will match the number of weeks of pregnancy — plus or minus 2 centimeters. For example, if you're 27 weeks pregnant, your health care provider would expect your fundal height to be about 27 centimeters.
When might fundal height in a pregnant woman most accurately predict gestational age quizlet?
Between weeks 18 and 32 the fundal height in centimeters should match the gestational age of the pregnancy.
Is fundal height accurate at 37 weeks?
The uterus reaches the base of your breast bone or sternum by about 36 to 37 weeks. The fundal height measurements become irrelevant after 35 to 36 weeks.
Can you measure fundal height at 12 weeks?
Here's a range of typical fundal height measurements during pregnancy: At 12 weeks, the fundus is at the level of the pubic bone. At 16 weeks, it's about halfway between the pubic bone and the belly button (the umbilicus). At about 20 weeks, it reaches the belly button.
What size is your uterus at 16 weeks pregnant?
16 weeks pregnant belly During your second trimester, your uterus will grow to be the size of a papaya.
When does the fundal height measurement equal the number of weeks of gestation quizlet?
Remember that after 20 weeks of pregnancy the number of weeks the patient is pregnant will match the fundal height measurement plus or minus 2 cm.
Where should the fundus be at 12 weeks?
At about 12 weeks in pregnancy, your fundus is in almost the same spot as your pubic bone. By the time you reach 20 weeks, your fundus is at your belly button. This is about the time your fundal height and week of pregnancy begin to match one another.
Where is the fundus at 16 weeks?
16 weeks pregnant symptoms The fundus, or top or your uterus, will be around 6 inches from your pubic bone. This means your 16 weeks pregnant belly may be starting to show. Your gums may be sensitive and bleed easily when you brush or floss your teeth.
What is a normal fundal height at 26 weeks?
So if your fundal distance is about 26 centimeters (plus or minus 2 centimeters), you are probably around week 26 of your pregnancy. Of course the fundal height can't give an exact number of weeks or show the exact size of your baby, but it's a good estimate.
Where is the fundus at 20 weeks?
Box 10.1 Changes in fundal height in a normal pregnancy At about three months (13-14 weeks), the top of the uterus is usually just above the mother's pubic bone (where her pubic hair begins). At about five months (20-22 weeks), the top of the uterus is usually right at the mother's bellybutton (umbilicus or navel).
What should fundal height be at 15 weeks?
Fundal height is the distance between the top of the uterus and pubic bone. Typically, the fundal height will measure (in centimeters) the same as the week of pregnancy — the 15th week would equal 15 centimeters.
What should the fundal height be at 28 weeks?
Your Pregnant Belly at 28 Weeks Your OB will probably measure your 28 weeks pregnant belly at your prenatal appointment. This week, fundal height—the distance from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus—should be about 26 to 30 centimeters.
Where should you find the fundus of the uterus during your assessment of fundal height?
They may press down and feel around to find your fundus. First, you will lay back on the exam table. Then, your healthcare provider will extend a paper or plastic tape measure from the top of your symphysis pubis (pubic bone) to your uterus (fundus). The distance between these two spots is your fundal height.
Which fetal measurement is about as accurate as the Biparietal diameter in determining gestational age quizlet?
179. Which of the following statements about the fetal head circumference is TRUE? A. It is considered more reliable than the biparietal diameter measurement as a gauge of gestational age.
What is used to measure the height of the fundus after the third month of pregnancy?
Using a tape measure that measures centimeters, place the zero marker at the top of the uterus. Move the tape measure vertically down your stomach and place the other end at the top of your pubic bone. This is your fundal height measurement.
Which of the following is one of the functions of the placenta during pregnancy quizlet?
What is the function of the placenta? It allows oxygen and nutrients to pass from the mother to the fetus, and bodily wastes to pass from the fetus to the mother.
How many fundal height measurements are there in pregnancy?
Even with only 3 fundal height measurements over the course of the pregnancy, prediction error remained at ±2.5 weeks
Why is fundal height important?
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Fundal height is used to assess gestational age, although reliability has been called in to question. Other anthropometric measurements may also be useful, especially in low resource settings where ultrasound is not available for pregnancy dating.
Does additional measurement add substantially to predictive accuracy compared to fundal height alone?
Additional measurements in mothers and newborns did not add substantially to predictive accuracy compared to fundal height alone
Can longitudinal fundal height be used to predict GA?
In low-risk, non-obese women, longitudinal fundal height measures alone can provide a reasonably predict GA when ultrasound is not available
Abstract
Many women in resource-poor settings lack access to reliable gestational age assessment because they do not know their last menstrual period; there is no ultrasound (US) and methods of newborn gestational age dating are not practised by birth attendants.
Acknowledgements
This study was approved by Oxford Tropical Research Ethics Committee, OXTREC 28-09.
Footnotes
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Why is the fundal height of the same woman different each time?
Even if the same health worker measures the fundal height of the same woman several times on the same day, the answer may be different each time, because the finger method is not very precise. (This is known as ‘intra-observer variation’, i.e. variation by a single observer at different times.)
When does the fundal height drop?
At about eight to nine months (36-40 weeks), the top of the uterus is almost up to the bottom of the mother’s ribs. Babies may drop lower in the weeks just before birth. You can look back at Figure 7.1 in Study Session 7 to see a diagram of fundal height at various weeks of gestation.
How big is a woman's uterus?
For example, if it has been 24 weeks since her last normal menstrual period, the uterus will usually measure 22-26 cm.
What does it mean to measure the fundal height?
Measuring the fundal height tells you the duration of the pregnancy, how fast the baby is growing, and the probable due date. Remember to position the woman correctly before measuring the fundal height. The fundus of the uterus grows on average two finger-widths for each month of pregnancy.
How long is the umbilicus at 20 weeks?
For example, it assumes that the distance between the pubic symphysis and the umbilicus is 20 cm at 20 weeks’ gestation, but it can be as long as 30 cm and as short as 14 cm. To overcome these limitations, it is recommended that you measure fundal height using a soft tape measure if you have one, as described next.
How to feel a mother's uterus?
To feel the uterus, have the mother lie on her back with some support under her head and knees. Explain to her what you are going to do (and why) before you begin touching her abdomen. Your touch should be firm but gentle. Walk your fingers up the side of her abdomen (Figure 10.1) until you feel the top of her abdomen under the skin. It will feel like a hard ball. You can feel the top by curving your fingers gently into the abdomen.
What is a molar pregnancy?
Molar pregnancy (tumour) Sometimes a woman gets pregnant, but a tumour grows instead of a baby. This is called a molar pregnancy (Figure 10.7). Blood spotting and tissue (sometimes shaped like grapes) may be discharged from her vagina. Figure 10.7 A molar pregnancy (tumour) growing in the uterus instead of a baby.
What is the fundal height in pregnancy?
Across various pregnancy stages, fundal height measurement landmarks are expected to be as follows: Weeks 12-14: top of uterus is right above pubic bone level. Weeks 20-22: top of uterus is at the level of belly button (navel) Weeks 36-40: top of uterus is right under the ribs. Weeks 36-40: as baby drops lower into the pelvis, ...
What Is Fundal Height?
Fundal height, also known as McDonald's Rule, is a measurement of the size of the uterus during pregnancy. It is measured in centimeters as the distance from the top of the pubic bone (specifically, a joint called symphysis pubic) to the top of the uterus (called fundus). As such, it is properly called a symphysis pubis fundal height (SFH).
What is a symphysis pubis fundal height?
Starting at the second trimester, fundal height measurement is typically recorded at most prenatal visits for the following purposes: Assessing baby's growth and development. Determining gestational age.
What is serial plotting on customized fundal height chart?
(2012). Serial plotting on customized fundal height chart results in doubling of the antenatal detection of small for gestation age fetuses in nulliparous women. Retrieved August 12, 2019 from https://www.perinatal.org.uk/gap/Resources/Alphonse_Roex_Antenatal_detection_SGA_Serial_Plotting_Cust_Chart_ANZJOG%202012.pdf
How to measure the pubic bone?
Locate the top of the uterus by hand (it will feel like a firm ball). Place the beginning of a measuring tape at the top of the uterus. Bring the tape down until the top of the pubic bone.
How many centimeters does the uterus expand during pregnancy?
As the pregnancy progresses, the uterus expands in the abdomen with its top moving up by about 4 centimeters per month, an equivalent of two finger-widths.
How many weeks are two finger widths?
Keep in mind that two finger widths represent one month, or four weeks.