Courses
Courses for Kids
Free study material
Offline Centres
More
Store Icon
Store

Gestational Age

share icon
share icon

Gestation Meaning

MVSAT 2024

Pregnancy and childbirth are defined by the gestation period. In the womb of the mother, the baby grows and develops. According to gestation meaning, when a pregnant woman is describing how far along she is in her pregnancy, she uses the term gestational age. Women measure it in weeks, starting with the first day of their last period. It ranges between 38 and 42 weeks for a normal pregnancy. Premature babies are born before 37 weeks. Postmature babies are those born after 42 weeks. Bunnies have a very high rate of embryonic mortality, with only about 60 to 70% of their births surviving (Lebas et al. 1997b). When the placentation changes from yolk sacs to hemochorial at day 13, and when the fetuses are dislodged by rough handling at day 23 (Harkness & Wagner 1995), rabbits are particularly prone to fetal loss as per the gestation meaning.


(Image Will Be Uploaded Soon)


What is the Gestation Period?

Women are pregnant for the duration of the gestation period. Pregnant women typically give birth between 38 and 42 weeks. Premature birth refers to the birth of an infant before 37 weeks. Postmature babies are those born after 42 weeks.


What is a Conception Date?

  • In a Typical Pregnancy

The first day of a woman's last period typically occurs about 11-21 days after conception. Because it can be difficult to figure out when ovulation occurs, most women don't know the exact date of conception. As a result, their conception date is only a projection based on the first day of their last period.

  • Special Cases

The exact date of conception is typically known by women who undergo artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization.


Single Intrauterine Gestation Meaning

The presence of a fetal pole with fetal heart activity identifies a single intrauterine gestation in the uterus. Currently, there is one fetus present during an uncomplicated pregnancy.


Pregnancy Time

The average pregnancy time duration lasts 40 weeks from the day the woman's last period begins, not from the day conception occurs, which is typically two weeks later. An unborn baby typically lives in the uterus for around 38 weeks. Due to irregular periods, some women do not know the date of their last menstruation, so a full-term baby is born between 37 and 42 weeks after its estimated due date of pregnancy time.


Gestation Period Calculation

An average pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, beginning on the first day of the last menstrual period. Steps 1 through 3 can be used to estimate the due date of the gestation period calculation:

  1. Find out when your last period started.

  2. Once you have that date, go back three months.

  3. Finally, add 1 year and 7 days to the date.


More About Gestational Age

It is possible to determine the gestational age or gestation period before or after birth.

  • A baby's size is determined by ultrasound before birth. It measures the size of her head, her abdomen, and her thighs to see how well she is growing in the womb.

  • In the immediate postpartum period, gestational age can be determined by measuring the baby's weight, length, head circumference, vital signs, reflexes, muscle tone, posture, and the condition of the skin and hair.

The baby defined as AGA is the one whose gestational age matches the calendar age after birth. These babies are less likely to experience problems and die from birth complications than babies that are too small or too large. Weights of full-term infants who are born AGA will typically range from 2,500 grams (about 5.5 pounds or 2.5 kilograms) to 4,000 grams (about 8.75 pounds or 4 kilograms).

  • A small-for-gestational-age baby is considered small for gestational age.

  • A large-for-gestational-age baby is considered large for gestational age.


Did You Know?

  • An infant that has a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth weight is a premature baby that weighs less than 90% of their peers of the same gender and gestational age.

  • 375 days was the longest pregnancy ever recorded. According to a 1945 Time Magazine article, a woman named Beulah Hunter gave birth in Los Angeles nearly 100 days after the average pregnancy was 280 days.

  • A baby born at 21 weeks and 4 days is now a toddler. An even younger baby, born at 21 weeks and 4 days, has survived several complications.

  • A child is born with loose natal teeth about 1 out of every 2,000 times; sometimes these teeth need to be removed by a doctor. They may be uncomfortable for the mother during breastfeeding, and they may cause harm if they become dislodged and inhaled.

Want to read offline? download full PDF here
Download full PDF
Is this page helpful?
like-imagedislike-image

FAQs on Gestational Age

1. How old is the normal gestational age of the human ear?

During your fourteenth week of pregnancy, your baby's arms are fully formed and more red blood cells are forming in different organs. The genitalia of your baby will also be developing by this point and will be obvious, so you will be able to tell the gender of your baby. After a few weeks, your baby may start to resemble a human. The eyes may be looking forward, the ears will be pointing forward, the skeleton will transform into bone, and a layer of fat may form under the skin. As the 18th-week approaches, your baby will be able to recognize and hear sounds, such as those made by your body, your voice, and conversations, as well as loud noises as per the gestation period calculation.

2. How do you deal with Intrauterine Pregnancy (IUP)?

A uterine pregnancy occurs when an egg implants and begins to develop within the uterus, where it should be. Pregnancy can only develop and progress to full term within the uterus. When an ultrasound shows an intrauterine pregnancy, it means the pregnancy is developing in the right place. The development of pregnancy anywhere else in the female reproductive tract (cervix, ovary, fallopian tubes) is referred to as ectopic. Ectopic pregnancies are not viable, meaning they cannot give birth to a child. It is important to investigate any possible concerns in early pregnancy, including abdominal or pelvic pain, and vaginal bleeding, so that the pregnancy can be located and complications excluded.


Competitive Exams after 12th Science