Clinical gestational age assessment in newborns using the new Ballard score
Keywords:
gestational age, newborn, new Ballard score
Abstract
Background The new Ballard score (NBS) is presently consid-ered to be the most reliable method for estimating clinical gesta-
tional age (GA) in newborn infants.
Objective The aim of this study was to compare the NBS and
Dubowitz/Finnstrom score against ultrasonography assessment of
gestational age.
Methods A cross sectional randomized study involving neonates
born in Sanglah Hospital, Bali, June to August 2004 was carried
out. Gestational age was estimated within the first 24 hour by ei-
ther Dubowitz/Finnstrom score or NBS confirmed by USG (C-
GLMP) as the gold standard.
Results One hundred and fifty-five newborns were enrolled in this
study. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups, the
Dubowitz/Finnstrom score group (76 newborns) and NBS group
(79 newborns). The mean age of mothers was 28.4 years old; mean
birth weight was 3151.3 g (SD 596.3 g). The proportion of small for
GA, appropriate for GA, and large for GA were 6%, 77% and 17%,
respectively. Pearson correlation ( r ) between C-GLMP and
Dubowitz/Finnstrom score was 0.71 (P<0.005); and with NBS was
0.79 (P<0.005) .
Conclusion The strength of correlation between either NBS or
Dubowitz/Finnstrom score and USG assessment of gestational age
are similar
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41:553-60.
2. Taeusch HW, Sniderman S. Initial evaluation: Gesta-
tional age assessment. In: Taeusch HW, Ballara RA,
editors. Avery’s Disease of the newborn. 7th ed. Phila-
delphia: Saunders; 1998. p. 341.
3. Stoll BJ, Kliegman RM. The fetus and the neonatal
infant: The high risk infant. In: Berhman RE,
Kliegman RM, Jenson HB, editors. Nelson textbook
of pediatrics. 16th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders; 2000.
p. 478-9.
4. Sola A, Rogido MR, Patridge JC. The perinatal pe-
riod: Assessment of newborns. In: Rudolph AM, Kamei
RK, Overby KJ, editors. Rudolph’s fundamentals of
pediatrics. 3rd ed. New York: The McGraw-Hill Com-
panies Inc; 2002. p. 129-39.
5. Stoll BJ, Kliegman RM. The fetus and the neonatal
infant: The high risk infant. In: Berhman RE,
Kliegman RM, Jenson HB, editors. Nelson textbook
of pediatrics. 17th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders; 2004.
p. 551-52.
6. Pursley DM, Cloherty JP. Assessment of the newborn:
Identifying the high-risk newborn and evaluating ges-
tational age, prematurity, postmaturity, large-for-ges-
tational-age, and small-for-gestational-age infants. In:
Cloherty JP, Stark AR, editors. Manual of neonatal care.
4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins;
1998. p. 39-40.
7. Ballard JL, Novak KK, Driver M. A simplified score
for assessment of fetal maturation of newly born in-
fants. J Pediatr 1979;95:769-74.
8. Finnstrom O. Studies on maturity in newborn infants.
Further observations on the use of external character-
istics in estimating gestational age. Acta Pediatr Scand
1977;66:601-4.
9. Browner WS, Newman TB, Cummings SR, Hulley SB.
Estimiting sample size and power: The Nitty-gritty. In:
Hulley SB. Designing clinical research: An epidemio-
logic approach. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Wil-
liams & Wilkins; 2001. p. 89.
10. Smith LN, Dayal VH, Monga M. Prior knowledge of
obstetric gestational age and possible bias of Ballard
score. Obstet Gynecol 1999;93:712-14.
11. Hutchen M. Pregcalc© 1997, 1998, 1999,2000. Avail-
able from: URL: http://www.thenar. com/pregcalc.
12. Lepley CJ, Gardner SL, Lubchenco LO. Initial nurs-
ery care: Assessment of gestational age. In: Meren-
stein GB, Gardner SL, editors. Handbook of neona-
tal intensive care. 3rd ed. St. Louis: Mosby year book;
1993. p. 76-99.
Published
2016-10-18
How to Cite
1.
Erman E, Retayasa W, Soetjiningsih S. Clinical gestational age assessment in newborns using the new Ballard score. PI [Internet]. 18Oct.2016 [cited 24Apr.2024];46(3):97-01. Available from: https://paediatricaindonesiana.org/index.php/paediatrica-indonesiana/article/view/909
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Received 2016-10-13
Accepted 2016-10-13
Published 2016-10-18
Accepted 2016-10-13
Published 2016-10-18
