Estimated due date app to replace the pregnancy wheel

(HealthDay)—A new estimated due date (EDD) calculator has been launched, which reconciles the discrepancy in due dates between the first ultrasound and date of the last menstrual period, according to a report published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

The new EDD calculator is based on joint recommendations from ACOG, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. The app also recalculates the due date based on ultrasound or on assisted reproductive technology to assist health care providers.

The application provides a time machine function, which allows users to determine the gestational age of the fetus at a specific date. The app is primarily intended for obstetrician-gynecologists and other obstetric providers, but is suitable for use by all members of the health care team, including patients. ACOG supports the use of the EDD calculator and will move toward its use instead of the physical plastic wheel.

"The ACOG EDD Calculator is an accurate app that received high marks for comprehensiveness, function and design, resulting in an APPLICATIONS© score of 13 out of 16," Katherine Chen, M.D., M.P.H., from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, said in an ACOG news release. "In addition, it is the only pregnancy wheel app on the market that has a special feature that allows redating based on ultrasonography."

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