DIAGNOSIS OF PREGNANCY/

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF

PREGNANCY
Presumptive signs
Probable signs
Positive signs
PRESUMPTIVE SIGNS
Presumptivesigns of pregnancy are
maternal physiological changes, which
the women experiences and which, in
most cases, indicate to her that she is
pregnant.
 Amenorrhoea
 Nausea and vomiting(morning sickness) from 4 th -14th week

 Tingling, tenseness, nodularity and enlargement of the nipples

around 3rd to 4th week.
 Increased frequency of micturition around 6th to 4th week.

 Fatigue

 Colour changes of breasts i.e. darkening of the nipples and primary

and secondary areolar change.
 Appearance of Montgomery’s tubercles.

 Continued elevation of BBT in the absence of an infection.

 Expression of colostrums from nipple

 Excessive salivation

 Quickening

 Skin pigmentation and conditions such as chloasma,breast and

abdominal striae and linen nigra
PROBABLE SIGN
 Probable signs of pregnancy are maternal
physiological changes other than
presumptive signs, which are detected
upon examination and documented by the
examiner
 Enlargement of the uterus
 Change in shape of the uterus

 Presence of human chronic gonadotrophin in

blood(4th to 12th) and in urine (6th to 12th )–positive
pregnancy tests
 Hegar’s sign(the softening and compressibility of the
uterine isthmus between the 6th and 12th weeks of
pregnancy)
 Jacquemier’s sign/chadwicks sign and osianders sign

 Palpation of Braxton Hick’s contractions

 Balloatment of foetus
POSITIVE SIGNS
Positive signs are those directly
attributable to the foetus as detected
and documented by the examiner.
 Visualization of foetus by ultrasound(6 week+)
 Visualization of foetus skeleton by x-ray(16
week)
 Foetal heart sounds by ultrasound

 Foetal heart sounds with fetoscope(20 week)

 Palpable foetal movements(22th week)

 Visible foetal movements

 Palpation of foetal parts

 FETAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DIAGNOSIS OF
PREGNANCY

 The foetal heart starts beating at the sixth week and can be
heard by 20th week with a fetoscope during abdominal
examination of the mother. However, it can be heard between
12th and 20th week with ultrasonic instruments.
 Fetal heart tones must be differentiated from two other sound-

 (1) The uterine soufflé-a soft blowing and systolic murmur

heard low down at the sides of the uterus, best on the left side.
The sound is due to increase in blood flow through the dilated
uterine vessels and is synchronous with the maternal pulse.
 (2) The funic soufflé-the sound of blood rushing through the
umbilical arteries. It is a soft blowing murmur synchronous
with the foetal heart sounds