Online calculator: formula may predict CPD, C-section.(Obstetrics)

BOCA RATON, FLA. -- An obstetrician and two mathematicians have developed an online calculator that accurately predicted the probability of cesarean section and cephalopelvic disproportion in primiparas seen in a large, multisite practice.

Dr. Thomas Young, an ob.gyn. in group practice in Gainesville, said the calculator measures the interaction of six demographic factors related to the risk of C-section and cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD) to produce a probability score for both outcomes.

"At the beginning of every pregnancy, you can enter their age, height, weight, and get a statistical idea of the outcome," he said. "Later, you enter the maternal weight gain, the estimated fetal birth weight, and the gestational age" to refine the score.

"The formula affords an opportunity to accurately assess the implications of the patient's characteristics," Dr. Young commented during the annual meeting of the South Atlantic Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Currently, he is not using the formula as a clinical tool, although with more validation studies he said it could be useful in clinical practice. Instead, the calculator can be used to compare physician practice patterns and the impact of demographic characteristics in different societies, and even to ...