Our Medical Review Process
Every article, guide, and calculator on PregCalc.com is developed and reviewed against current clinical guidelines. Here is exactly how that process works — who reviews our content, what they check, and how often it is updated.
In brief
PregCalc.com covers pregnancy health topics that fall under Google’s Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) classification, meaning inaccurate information could affect real health decisions. That is why every page is written to align with ACOG, NHS, and Mayo Clinic guidance and reviewed by a board-certified OB-GYN before publication — and re-reviewed whenever clinical guidelines change.
Why medical review matters for pregnancy content
Pregnancy information is not casual reading. Decisions about gestational dating, prenatal testing, labor signs, and fetal movement can directly affect when someone calls their midwife, how they interpret a test result, or whether they seek urgent care. Google classifies health and medical topics as YMYL — Your Money or Your Life content precisely because errors carry real-world risk.
At PregCalc.com our editorial framework is built around three principles:
● Accuracy first
Every factual claim on our site must trace back to a peer-reviewed study, clinical guideline, or major health authority — not editorial assumption or anecdote.
● Transparent sourcing
We name our sources at the bottom of every page and link to the original guideline or publication wherever possible.
● Real clinical oversight
Our content is reviewed by a named, credentialed OB-GYN who holds active ABOG board certification — not an anonymous “medical team.”
Our medical reviewer
All clinical content on PregCalc.com is reviewed by a single, named physician so you always know exactly who has verified what you are reading.
Dr. Khan is a practicing OB-GYN with board certification from the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG). She reviews all pregnancy-related content on PregCalc.com for clinical accuracy, currency with ACOG guidelines, and appropriate framing for a general audience. She checks factual claims, calculations, gestational-age conventions, and any clinical recommendations against current published guidance before each page is approved for publication.
The 5-step review process
Every page on PregCalc.com passes through a structured five-step workflow before it goes live. The process is the same whether the page is a calculator, a week-by-week guide, or a long-form clinical article.
From draft to published: the review pipeline
Research & outline
Our content team identifies the target topic, maps it to specific ACOG committee opinions, NHS guidance pages, or peer-reviewed literature, and drafts a structured outline. Primary source documents are collected before a single word of content is written. Topics involving evolving or contested evidence are flagged for extra scrutiny at Stage 3.
Expert writing aligned to clinical guidelines
Content is written to translate clinical language into accurate, accessible plain English. Our writers follow a style guide that prohibits speculative claims, sensational language, and recommendations that go beyond what the cited evidence actually supports. Every calculator formula is cross-referenced against the authoritative published method (e.g., Naegele’s rule, WHO growth standards, Bishop Score criteria).
Medical review by Dr. Ruqaiya Khan, MD, FACOG Critical gate
Dr. Khan reads the full draft and checks: factual accuracy of every clinical claim; correct application of gestational-age conventions; currency with the latest ACOG Practice Bulletins and Committee Opinions; appropriate framing of risk, symptoms, and when to seek care; and absence of harmful, misleading, or unsubstantiated health claims. She may request revisions, return the page for additional sourcing, or approve it for publication. No page proceeds past this stage without her explicit sign-off.
Editorial QA check
After medical approval, a final editorial pass checks readability, heading structure, internal linking, schema markup, and compliance with our plain-language standards. This stage does not alter any medically reviewed claims — it is limited to presentation, formatting, and SEO metadata.
Publication & scheduled re-review
The page is published with a “Last reviewed” date and a future re-review date set in our content calendar. All pages display the reviewer’s name and credentials in a visible attribution box. The re-review date triggers a repeat of Stages 1–3 to catch any guideline changes since original publication.
Evidence sources & hierarchy
We follow a defined hierarchy when citing clinical evidence. Higher-tier sources take precedence over lower-tier ones. If a lower-tier source conflicts with a guideline from a higher tier, we follow the higher-tier source and note the discrepancy where relevant.
Our four-tier evidence pyramid
| Tier | Source type | Examples we use | When we cite it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Clinical practice guidelines | ACOG Practice Bulletins, Committee Opinions; SMFM Consult Series; NICE guidelines; WHO recommendations; NHS clinical guidance | Always, when available for the topic |
| Tier 2 | Systematic reviews & meta-analyses | Cochrane Reviews, NEJM, BMJ, Lancet, AJOG systematic reviews | When Tier 1 is absent or to support specific statistical claims |
| Tier 3 | Individual peer-reviewed studies | RCTs and observational studies in AJOG, Obstetrics & Gynecology, BJOG | For specific data points not covered by Tier 1 or 2 |
| Tier 4 | Health authority patient resources | Mayo Clinic, CDC, NHS patient pages, March of Dimes | Secondary support or accessible plain-language corroboration only |
What types of content we review
Medical review applies to every content type on PregCalc.com, not just long-form articles. The review scope varies slightly by content type as described below.
○ Calculator tools
The underlying formula, gestational-age conventions, and output labeling are reviewed for clinical correctness. Dr. Khan verifies that edge-case outputs (e.g., results outside normal gestational ranges) are appropriately labeled and do not suggest false precision.
○ Week-by-week guides
Developmental milestones, fetal size data, and symptom descriptions are cross-referenced against WHO fetal growth standards and ACOG-aligned gestational timing. Symptoms that warrant urgent care are explicitly flagged.
○ Long-form clinical articles
Full clinical accuracy review of all factual claims, risk statistics, and clinical management descriptions. References to specific studies or guidelines are spot-checked against the source documents.
○ FAQ & informational pages
Each question-and-answer pair is reviewed for clinical accuracy. Answers that involve symptoms, risk factors, or treatment decisions must cite a Tier 1 or Tier 2 source.
○ Checklist & planning tools
Timing recommendations (e.g., when to pack a hospital bag, when to begin prenatal vitamins) are verified against ACOG or NHS published guidance, not editorial preference.
○ Trust & about pages
This page, the medical team biography, and our about page are reviewed to ensure claims about credentials and processes are accurate and verifiable.
Update & maintenance policy
Medical guidelines change. Clinical recommendations that were standard practice five years ago may have been revised or superseded. Our update policy ensures published content stays current.
Scheduled re-review
Every published page has a re-review date set at publication. Standard clinical guides are re-reviewed every 12 months. Calculator tools and gestational-age content are re-reviewed every 6 months. Pages tied to specific ACOG bulletins are flagged for review whenever a new bulletin version is released.
Triggered updates
Outside the scheduled cycle, pages are also updated when: (1) ACOG, NHS, or WHO issues new or revised guidance relevant to the page topic; (2) a significant new systematic review or major RCT changes clinical consensus; or (3) a reader or clinician reports a potential inaccuracy that is validated on review.
📅 What “Last reviewed” means
The “Last reviewed” date on each page is the date Dr. Khan completed her most recent review of that page’s clinical content — not the date the page was first published or last had a minor copy edit. A page with a recent review date means its clinical facts have been verified against current guidelines within that timeframe.
Editorial independence
PregCalc.com maintains a strict separation between editorial and commercial operations.
- No advertiser influence: Advertisers, sponsors, and affiliate partners have no role in topic selection, content development, or the medical review process. Commercial relationships do not affect which products, services, or clinical recommendations appear on the site.
- No sponsored content labeled as editorial: Any content produced in partnership with a commercial entity is labeled as such and is not subject to our standard medical review process (it is published separately from our editorial content).
- Reviewer independence: Dr. Khan’s clinical judgments are final. Our editorial team does not override, soften, or negotiate around a medical reviewer’s requested corrections. If a claim cannot be substantiated to her satisfaction, it is removed.
- No affiliate-driven recommendations: Clinical tool recommendations (e.g., which trimester screening tests to discuss with your provider) are based solely on ACOG and NHS guidance, not on affiliate revenue potential.
Limitations & medical disclaimer
Our medical review process is rigorous, but it has structural limits that every reader should understand before using our content to inform any health decision.
- PregCalc.com is not a substitute for individual medical care. Our content describes population-level patterns and clinical conventions. Your pregnancy is individual — the guidance of your OB-GYN, midwife, or maternity team always takes precedence over anything published on this site.
- Review reflects the date shown. Guidelines change. A page last reviewed six months ago may not yet reflect guidance issued since that date. Always check with your provider for the most current recommendation on your specific situation.
- We do not provide diagnosis or treatment advice. Nothing on PregCalc.com constitutes a clinical diagnosis, a recommendation to start or stop any treatment, or a substitute for emergency medical judgment. If you believe you are experiencing a pregnancy emergency, call your provider or local emergency services immediately.
- Calculator outputs are estimates. Tools such as our due date calculator or gestational age calculator produce estimates based on the data you enter. They do not account for individual clinical factors that your provider knows from your full history.
How to report an inaccuracy
We take clinical accuracy seriously. If you believe any content on PregCalc.com contains an error, is outdated, or conflicts with current published guidance, please let us know. All reports are reviewed by our editorial team and, if the issue is clinical, escalated to Dr. Khan for assessment within 5 business days.
Report an inaccuracy or suggest a correction
Email our editorial team at editorial@pregcalc.com with the page URL, the specific claim you believe is incorrect or outdated, and the source (guideline or study) that you believe contradicts it. We will acknowledge your report within 2 business days and publish a correction notice on the page if the report is validated.