Is it time to toss out the plastic pregnancy wheel?
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has launched a new due date calculator application that officials hope will replace the physical wheel and other smartphone apps already on the market.
The Estimated Due Date Calculator (EDD Calculator) incorporates the joint recommendations from ACOG, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in determining due dates and reconciles the discrepancy in due dates between the first ultrasound and the date of the last menstrual period.
The EDD Calculator – available for free in the Apple and Google Play app stores as part of the ACOG app – also recalculates the due date based on use of assisted reproductive technology and allows users to determine the gestational age at a specific date.
“The EDD Calculator has ACOG guidelines built into the logic, therefore, it is the most accurate tool available for ob.gyns. and their staff,” Dr. Nathaniel DeNicola, ACOG digital and social media expert consultant and senior fellow at the Penn Social Media and Health Innovation Lab, said in a statement.
Although the EDD Calculator is designed for ob.gyns. and other health care providers, it also can be used by patients, according to ACOG.
To get the EDD Calculator, download the ACOG app (www.acog.org/acogapp).
mschneider@frontlinemedcom.com
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