Should a first trimester dating scan be routine for all pregnancies?

Abstract

Accurate pregnancy dating is important for diagnostic and management decisions during pregnancy. Dating by last menstrual period is less reliable than dating by ultrasound, since the former has memory-related and other sources of inaccuracy. Dating by first trimester ultrasound, via the crown-rump length, has a 95% confidence range of ±5 days, slightly better than the ±8 days for dating by second trimester ultrasound at 14-20 weeks. This small difference appears to be too small to justify a routine first trimester scan for the purpose of dating the pregnancy.

Keywords: First trimester; Gestational age; Last menstrual period; Second trimester; Ultrasound.