Ballard Score

Gestational Age Assessment in Newborns

Dubowitz Score and New Ballard Scoring System

The assessment of gestational age in newborns can be performed postnatally using two main methods: the Dubowitz Score and the New Ballard Scoring system.

Ballard Maturational Assessment (Ballard Score)

The Ballard Maturational Assessment, also known as the Ballard Score or Ballard Scale, is a widely used technique for gestational age assessment in newborns.

Physical Examination Findings

Clinicians also use physical examination findings in newborns, such as skin texture, muscle tone, and ear cartilage development, to estimate gestational age using the New Ballard score.

Expanded Ballard Score

In recent years, the Ballard Maturational Assessment has been expanded to include extremely premature infants, making it a comprehensive tool for gestational age assessment across a wider range of newborn ages.