EDAPT HIGH RISK NEWBORN DEVELOPMENT NURSING CARE
Gestational age (or the duration of pregnancy) is measured in weeks from the first day of the mother’s last menstrual
period to the day of delivery.
The average gestational age is 40 weeks (280 days). However, not all women with normal pregnancies deliver at exactly
40 weeks.
New gestational age designations were developed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG,
2013) to further define the 5-week range considered “term”.
Preterm
Infants born before 37 weeks gestation:
 extremely preterm is infants born before 28 weeks gestation
 late preterm is infants born between 34 and 36 6/7 weeks gestation
Term
Infants born between 37 and 41 6/7 weeks gestation:
 early term is infants born between 37 and 38 6/7 weeks gestation
 full term is infants born between 39 and 40 6/7 weeks gestation
 late term is infants born between 41 and 41 6/7 weeks gestation
Postterm
Infants born after 42 weeks gestation
Most infants are born at term and have the lowest risk of complications in the newborn period. Those that are
not delivered at term may face complications and need assistance from nurses and providers.
A client gave birth at 42 3/7 weeks gestation. When assessing the neonate, which physical findings are expected?
Select all that apply.
Postdate fetuses lose the vernix caseosa and the epidermis may become desquamated. These neonates are usually very
alert. Lanugo is missing in the postdate neonate. Both the hair and nails have grown longer, and an increased number of
creases are visible across the soles of the feet.
A newborn delivered at 38 2/7 weeks is considered TERM A weight at the 8th percentile for age is considered SMALL
FOR GESTATIONAL AGE.
Term infants are those born after the beginning of week 38 and before week 42 of pregnancy. Infants born before term
(before the beginning of the 38th week of pregnancy) are classified as preterm infants, regardless of their birth weight.
Infants who fall below the 10th percentile of weight for their age are considered small for gestational age (SGA). Infants
who fall between the 10th and 90th percentiles of weight for their gestational age, whether they are preterm, term, or
post-term, are considered appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Those who fall above the 90th percentile in weight are
considered large for gestational age (LGA). Another term used is low-birth-weight (LBW; one weighing under 2500 g at
birth). Those weighing 1000 g to 1500 g are very-low-birth-weight (VLB). Those born weighing 500 g to 1000 g are
considered extremely very-low-birth-weight infants (EVLB).