|
Overview :
The duration of a pregnancy can be estimated during the
physical examination based on the height of uterine fundus.
Technique: The woman should be reclining on her back. Both
hands are cupped around the uterine fundus, with the palms in the midclavicular
line and the fingers pointing medially.
|
Fundus
Height |
Week of
Gestation |
|
1-2 fingers above the pubic symphysis |
end of 16th
week |
|
2-3 fingers below the umbilicus |
end of 20th
week |
|
at the height of the umbilicus |
end of 24th
week |
|
2-3 fingers above the umbilicus |
end of 28th
week |
|
halfway between the umbilicus and xiphoid
process |
end of 32th
week |
|
at the ribcage |
end of 36th
week |
|
fundus drops lower in the abdomen |
during 37th
week |
|
1-2 fingers below the rib cage |
end of 40th
week |
Limitations:
• The
presence of leiomyomata along the fundus can make the pregnancy seem more
advanced that it actually is.
• Obese
women may be hard to evaluate.
• The findings are unreliable in the presence of a multiple
gestation.
|