Clinical Report: AI May Estimate Gestational Age

Overview

A study evaluated an AI model's ability to estimate gestational age using blind sweep ultrasonography in diverse clinical settings. The AI demonstrated a mean absolute error of 4.2 days, comparable to the clinical standard.

Background

Accurate gestational age estimation is crucial for monitoring fetal growth and identifying potential complications during pregnancy. Traditional ultrasound methods require skilled operators and expensive equipment, limiting access in low-resource settings. The development of AI systems that utilize portable ultrasound devices may enhance accessibility.

Data Highlights

Key Findings

• The AI model achieved a mean absolute error of 4.2 days, meeting noninferiority criteria compared to the clinical standard.
• Performance was consistent across both clinical settings, with MAEs of 4.1 days in Chicago and 4.3 days in Nairobi.
• Performance remained stable across different reference dating windows.
• In Nairobi, the clinical standard outperformed the AI model in late-term pregnancies.
• Exploratory analyses suggested improved accuracy for fetuses above the 90th weight percentile.

Clinical Implications

Further refinement of the model may be necessary for optimal performance in late-term pregnancies.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the accuracy of AI in estimating gestational age using blind sweep ultrasonography, achieving comparable results to traditional methods in varied clinical settings.

Related Resources & Content

1. Angelica Willis, MS, et al., JAMA Network Open, 2026 -- Generalization of AI-Based Gestational Age Assessment Using Blind Sweep Ultrasonography
2. Nature, npj Digital Medicine, 2025 -- Fetal gestational age estimation using artificial intelligence on non-targeted ultrasound images and video
3. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2025 -- Artificial Intelligence Model for Predicting Large-for-Gestational-Age Infants in Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
4. ACOG, 2017 -- Methods for Estimating the Due Date
5. AIUM, 2024 -- AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of Standard Diagnostic Obstetric Ultrasound
6. ISUOG, 2023 -- ISUOG Practice Guidelines (updated): performance of the routine mid‐trimester fetal ultrasound scan
7. Drug Safety — Assessing Claims-Based Algorithms for Estimating Pregnancy Outcomes and Gestational Age Through a Combined Claims and Electronic Medical Record Analysis
8. Methods for Estimating the Due Date | ACOG
9. AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of Standard Diagnostic Obstetric Ultrasound - 2024 - Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine - Wiley Online Library
10. ISUOG Practice Guidelines (updated): performance of the routine mid‐trimester fetal ultrasound scan
11. Generalization of AI-Based Gestational Age Assessment Using Blind Sweep Ultrasonography | Obstetrics and Gynecology | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network
12. Diagnostic Accuracy of an Integrated AI Tool to Estimate Gestational Age From Blind Ultrasound Sweeps - PubMed
13. The application of artificial intelligence in blind ultrasound sweep diagnostics for prenatal medicine: A systematic literature review - PMC