Overview
Introduction
A newborn's gestational age influences decisions about thermal protection, respiratory observation, glucose surveillance, feeding, and level of care.
A newborn's gestational age influences decisions about thermal protection, respiratory observation, glucose surveillance, feeding, and level of care. Sometimes the last menstrual period and ultrasound dates are missing, unreliable, or inconsistent with the infant's physical appearance. The New Ballard Score addresses that dating problem at the bedside by combining six physical and six neuromuscular maturity findings into one estimate. The result is a maturity estimate, not a standalone diagnosis. Compare it with prenatal dating, weight, length, head circumference, and the newborn's clinical condition. The practical value of the score is deciding what support and surveillance the infant may need while recognizing when the estimate is less reliable.