ABSTRACT
Background: Gestational age supports predicting a potential due date, informing obstetrical care and testing, and assessing the baby’s health at birth. It is vital to obtain a gestational age in all pregnancies to offer regular care and medical management for both mother and fetus. The ultimate suitable techniques for calculating gestational age are ultrasonography. The study aims to investigate the perinatal outcome according to gestational age. Material & Methods: A Prospective cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Hospital, from January 2008 to June 2008. A total of 50 patients were enrolled in this study following the inclusive criteria. Data were collected using the predesigned semi-structured questionnaire. Verbal consent was taken before recruiting the study population. Completed data forms were reviewed, edited, and processed for computer data entry. Results: Among the study population (N=50), one-fifth of the mothers’ (10,20.0%) age was under twenty. The majority of mothers were (34,68.0%) between 20-30 years old with a mean age of 25.4 ± 4.32 years. Twenty-three patients (23,46.0%) came at 40+ weeks of pregnancy, eighteen patients came at (18,36,0%) on 41 weeks of pregnancy and nine patients (9,18.0%) came at41+ weeks of pregnancy. There was no perineal tear and two patients (2,4.0%) had cervical tears which were repaired. In two patients (2,4.0%) there was postpartum haemorrhage, among them two patients (2,4.0%) needed a blood transfusion. Among the healthy babies, the majority of the babies (20,40.0%) were born at 40 completed weeks of gestation, eighteen babies (18,36.0%) at 41 completed weeks and two babies (2,4.0%) were born at 42 completed weeks of gestation. Conclusion: Many childhood and adult diseases are linked with size at birth and are mostly inclined by early postnatal growth is widely accepted. The evolving fetus formulates itself for post-partum life by reporting to metabolic signals in its uterine environment.