The Gestation Network aims to highlight the importance of an individual approach in the assessment of fetal growth, based on maternal, fetal and pregnancy characteristics.

Fetal growth is of principal concern in perinatal surveillance. It has relevance for

• Antenatal care: failure to thrive in utero can lead to fetal death; antepartum stillbirth is the largest contributor to perinatal mortality in most developed countries.

• Intrapartum surveillance: growth restricted fetuses are more likely to become distressed during labour.

• Neonatal care: babies who are small due to prematurity or growth restriction are more prone to neonatal complications.

This site contains free software for calculating gestational age and customised fetal growth charts and birthweight centiles.

Disclaimer: The software contains calculations based on published principles and formulae. The authors cannot accept responsibility for any clinical diagnoses or decisions made on the basis of this software. This site is administered by the Perinatal Institute.