Aim: To measure puerperal symphysis fundus distance (SFD) by two manual methods and to calculate individual normal values. Study design: Prospective cohort study including women after single pregnancy without special problems in uterine involution. Methods: SFD was daily measured on the 1 st -5 th postpartum days by counting the number of midwife's fingers put horizontally on the mother's abdomen and by a paper tape, respectively. Linear mixed model analysis was performed to determine SFD normal values. Results: Independent variables determining the SFD on different days after delivery were the gestational age and the delivery mode (finger method) and the maternal age, body mass index (BMI), delivery mode and birth weight (tape method). Individual normal values were calculated by regression equation including the coefficients for the independent variables. Conclusion: Puerperal SFD values measured by tape have more independent variables than those measured by fingers and reflect better the actual situation of the patient. It should be verified whether values deviating from normal values of tape measurements may prevent postpartum complications.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.