Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act of India, how is the duration of gestation calculated for determining eligibility within legal limits?

• A From the date of first positive pregnancy test
• B From the date of conception as estimated by ultrasound biometry alone
• C From the first day of the last menstrual period ✓
• D From the first documented fetal cardiac activity

Explanation

Indian law, consistent with obstetric convention, calculates gestational age from the first day of the last menstrual period, and all MTP Act limits such as 20 and 24 weeks refer to this dating. Dating from conception would reduce the apparent legal duration by roughly two weeks and is not how eligibility is assessed. Ultrasound refines dating clinically but the statutory calculation remains anchored to the last menstrual period.

Reference: DC Dutta's Textbook of Obstetrics, 10th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.