How Big Will My Baby Be Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Two ultrasound scans several weeks apart are available. What is often more informative than treating either estimate as exact?
Choosing whichever scan gives the larger weight
Considering the growth pattern over time alongside the full clinical picture
Comparing the estimated weight only with the pregnant person’s weight gain
Ignoring the earlier scan because only the latest measurement can be useful
2. What does “small for gestational age” usually mean?
The pregnant person gained less weight than average
The baby was born before the estimated due date
The baby’s weight is low relative to babies at the same gestational age
The baby’s length is shorter than either parent’s height predicts
3. A baby is born several weeks early and weighs less than most full-term newborns. What can reasonably be inferred from weight alone?
The placenta must have stopped working normally
The baby was necessarily growth-restricted
Earlier gestational age may explain much of the lower birth weight
The baby’s genetic growth potential must be low
4. An ultrasound report gives an estimated fetal weight. How should that number be understood?
It is an estimate with a meaningful margin of uncertainty
It predicts birth weight accurately regardless of when birth occurs
It is effectively the baby’s exact weight on the scan date
It measures only fluid and placental tissue, not the baby
5. Both biological parents are tall and were relatively large newborns. What does this suggest?
Their baby is certain to be large for gestational age
Parental size matters only after the child reaches school age
Genetics may influence growth, but individual birth weight still cannot be predicted precisely
The baby’s weight can be calculated by averaging the parents’ birth weights
6. Which piece of information is most essential when interpreting an expected birth weight?
The calendar month in which conception occurred
The number of prenatal appointments attended
Whether the parents know the baby’s sex
The baby’s gestational age at birth
7. How can placental function influence fetal growth?
The placenta fixes the baby’s final weight during the first trimester
Reduced delivery of oxygen and nutrients can limit growth
The placenta affects birth weight only by determining the start of labor
A larger placenta always produces a larger baby
8. What can the baby’s sex tell you about individual birth weight?
It determines whether fetal growth will speed up or stop near the due date
It allows birth weight to be predicted accurately once gestational age is known
It matters only for babies born before 37 weeks
Population averages may differ slightly, but sex alone is a weak predictor of an individual baby’s weight
9. A late-pregnancy scan suggests that a baby may be large. What is the soundest response to that estimate?
Assume the predicted weight is exact and prepare for that number
Discuss the estimate, its uncertainty, and other clinical factors with the maternity team
Ignore the result because ultrasound never provides useful growth information
Conclude that a vaginal birth will not be possible
10. Before delivery, which method can guarantee a baby’s exact birth weight?
No available method can guarantee the exact birth weight in advance
Using the most recent ultrasound estimate without adjustment
Adding weekly pregnancy weight gain to the baby’s estimated weight
Combining fundal height with parental height
11. If a baby is born two weeks before the estimated due date rather than around it, how might timing affect birth weight?
Birth weight will be unchanged because growth stops before labor begins
With fewer weeks to grow, the baby may weigh less than if pregnancy had continued
The baby will necessarily be small for gestational age
Earlier birth makes ultrasound estimates exact
12. Which statement about pregnancy weight gain and the baby’s eventual birth weight is most accurate?
Weight gain includes the baby, placenta, fluid, blood volume, and body changes, so it cannot be converted directly into birth weight
Every unit of pregnancy weight gain adds the same amount to the baby
Pregnancy weight gain has no possible relationship to fetal growth
The baby’s birth weight is usually half of the total pregnancy weight gain
13. At an appointment, fundal height differs from what was expected. What is the most appropriate interpretation?
It is a screening clue that may lead the clinician to review dating, position, fluid, or growth
It proves that the estimated due date is wrong
It provides the baby’s current weight in grams
It confirms that the baby will be unusually large at birth
14. Why can diabetes during pregnancy sometimes be associated with a larger baby?
It always extends pregnancy beyond the due date
It causes the baby to retain extra amniotic fluid inside the body
Higher glucose exposure can stimulate fetal insulin production and growth
It makes ultrasound measurements appear larger without changing growth
15. Which statement best reflects the relationship between smoking during pregnancy and birth weight?
Smoking generally increases fetal growth by raising metabolism
Smoking affects birth timing but has no association with fetal growth
Smoking determines birth weight more accurately than gestational age does
Smoking is associated with restricted fetal growth and lower birth weight
16. When considering how large a later baby might be, which history is generally a useful clue?
The number of siblings each parent has
The adult weight of the baby’s oldest grandparent
The pregnant person’s own birth month
The birth weights and gestational ages of the pregnant person’s previous babies