Fundal height, or MacDonald's rule, is a measure of the size of the uterus used to assess fetal growth and development. The uterus (from the Latin word for womb) is the major Female reproductive organ of most Mammals including Humans One end the Gestational age is usually considered to be the age of an Embryo or Fetus (or newborn infant from the first day of the woman's last menstrual period (LMP It is measured from the top of the pubic bone to the top of the uterus in centimeters. For the bone in many mammals often called the penis bone see Baculum The android pubic bone is the Ventral and Anterior It should match the fetus' gestational age in weeks within 1 to 3 cm, e. A fetus (or foetus or fœtus) is a developing Mammal or other Viviparous Vertebrate, after the Embryonic stage and g. , a pregnant woman's uterus at 22 weeks should measure 19 to 25 cm.
A shorter measure can happen for one of the following reasons:
On the other side, a longer measure can be caused by:
As a pregnancy approaches its end, the fundal height will become less accurate. For soil improvement see Fertilization (soil. Oligohydramnios is a condition in Pregnancy characterised by a deficiency in Amniotic fluid. A breech birth (also known as breech presentation) refers to the position of the Baby in the Uterus such that it will be delivered Small for gestational age (SGA babies are those whose Birth weight lies below the 10th percentile for that gestational age Twins are Offspring resulting from the same Pregnancy, either of the same or opposite Sex. A multiple birth occurs when more than one Fetus is carried to term in a single Pregnancy. Polyhydramnios ( polyhydramnion, hydramnios) is a medical condition describing an excess of Amniotic fluid in the Amniotic sac. Large for gestational age (LGA babies are those whose Birth weight lies above the 90th percentile for that Gestational age. Molar pregnancy is an abnormal form of Pregnancy, characterized by the presence of a hydatidiform mole (or hydatid mole, mola hytadidosa Pregnancy ( Latin graviditas) is the carrying of one or more offspring known as a Fetus or Embryo, inside the Uterus of a Female
Most caregivers will record their patient's fundal height on every prenatal visit. Measuring the fundal height can be an indicator of proper fetal growth and amniotic fluid development.