pelvimetry

9.8

Measuring the size of a woman's pelvis to check if she can give birth naturally

noun
/ˌpɛlˈvɪmətri/

Specialized

: pelvimetría

Pelvimetry is often performed in late pregnancy to assess the likelihood of a successful vaginal delivery.

Examples

The midwife explained that pelvimetry helps assess the size of the pelvis for a safe vaginal birth.
During her pregnancy, Jane underwent a pelvimetry at the hospital.
In cases of suspected cephalopelvic disproportion, pelvimetry can provide critical information for delivery planning.
Some doctors use imaging techniques for pelvimetry to obtain more accurate measurements of the pelvis.
The doctor recommended a pelvimetry to evaluate the birth canal.
Many expectant mothers receive pelvimetry to determine the safest delivery method for their baby.
After the pelvimetry, the doctor discussed the potential for a natural birth with the patient.

Surface Forms

pelvimetry singular

pelvimetries plural

Morphology

pelvimetry = pelvis (semi-transparent) = pelvi + metry

Derived from 'pelvis' using the combining stem 'pelvi-' plus the technical suffix '-metry', so the meaning is predictable but the altered stem and medical terminology reduce immediate recognizability for learners.

Etymology

Pelvimetry comes from pelvis, a Latin word meaning 'basin', and the ending -metry, which means 'measure' and is the same idea as in geometry. So pelvimetry literally means 'measuring the basin' and today it refers to measuring a woman's pelvis to see if she can give birth vaginally.