gestational age
Also written as: GA — gestational age
The age of a pregnancy or fetus measured in weeks from the first day of the mother's last menstrual period (LMP), used as the standard developmental reference in perinatal and pediatric pathology.
Full Definition
Gestational age (GA) is the primary temporal reference in perinatal pathology and neonatology, conventionally counted in completed weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period (LMP), irrespective of the actual date of fertilisation. It differs from 'corrected age' (or postmenstrual age), which adjusts for prematurity when assessing developmental milestones postnatally. In pathological contexts, gestational age determines organ maturity criteria for lung, brain, kidney, and gut; erroneous transcription of GA can critically misclassify findings. Editors must distinguish it from 'fetal age', 'conceptional age', and 'corrected age', which are calculated differently.
Usage
Usage note: Abbreviate as 'GA' only after spelling out in full on first mention. Do not use interchangeably with 'corrected age' or 'postmenstrual age', which apply postnatally to premature infants.
In Context
- "The placenta was appropriate for the stated gestational age of 28 weeks, with no features of accelerated maturation." — Placental pathology report
- "Developmental assessment was based on corrected age, not gestational age, as the infant had been born 10 weeks prematurely." — Neonatal follow-up clinical letter