Paper gestational age wheels are generally inaccurate

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Medical Device Technology
• Clinical Informatics

Background:

• Accurate estimation of gestational age is critical for obstetric care.
• Traditional paper gestational wheels are widely used but their accuracy is questioned.
• Mobile applications (APPs) offer a digital alternative for calculating estimated dates of confinement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the accuracy of paper gestational wheels versus mobile application (APP) based calculators for determining the estimated date of confinement.
• To assess the reliability of different gestational age calculation methods using a standard last menstrual period.

Main Methods:

• Collected 31 paper gestational wheels from obstetric providers.
• Utilized a standard last menstrual period (January 1, 2013) to calculate estimated dates of confinement.
• Compared paper wheel results with 20 electronic APPs, including assessments for leap year (2012) accuracy.

Main Results:

• Only 35% of paper wheels were consistent with the standard 280-day pregnancy duration.
• Paper wheels showed discrepancies up to 4 days, with some differing by 7 days.
• All 20 electronic APPs accurately calculated the estimated date of confinement and correctly accounted for leap years, unlike paper wheels.

Conclusions:

• The majority of paper gestational wheels provide inaccurate estimated dates of confinement compared to electronic APPs.
• Precision in gestational age assessment is vital, especially with increased focus on deliveries before 39 weeks.
• The study recommends discontinuing the use of paper gestational age wheels in favor of more reliable digital tools.