MedCalc: Ballard Assessment of Gestational Age

MedCalc: Ballard Maturational Assessment of Gestational Age

NEUROMUSCULAR MATURITY
NEUROMUSCULAR MATURITY SIGN SCORE -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 RECORD SCORE HERE SCORE Neuromuscular: Physical: Total: POSTURE MATURITY RATING SQUARE WINDOW (Wrist)

score -10

weeks 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44

ARM RECOIL

-5 0

POPLITEAL ANGLE

5 10 15 20 25

SCARF SIGN

HEEL TO EAR 30 35 40 45

TOTAL NEUROMUSCULAR MATURITY SCORE

PHYSICAL MATURITY
PHYSICAL MATURITY SIGN SCORE -1 0 gelatinous, red, translucent 1 smooth pink, visible veins 2 3 4 5 RECORD SCORE HERE 50

SKIN

sticky, friable, transparent

cracking, superficial parchment, pale leathery, peeling &/or deep areas, cracked, rash, few cracking, rare wrinkled veins no vessels veins bald areas

LANUGO

none

sparse

abundant

thinning

mostly bald

PLANTAR SURFACE

heel-toe 40-50 mm: -1 <40 mm: -2

>50 mm no crease

faint red marks

anterior transverse crease only stippled areola 1-2 mm bud well-curved pinna; soft but ready recoil

creases ant. 2/3 raised areola 3-4 mm bud formed & firm instant recoil testes down, good rugae majora large, minora small

creases over entire sole full areola 5-10 mm bud thick cartilage ear stiff testes pendulous, deep rugae majora cover clitoris & minora TOTAL PHYSICAL MATURITY SCORE

BREAST

imperceptable

barely flat areola perceptable no bud sl. curved lids open pinna; pinna flat soft; slow stays folded recoil scrotum empty, faint rugae prominent clitoris & small labia minora

EYE / EAR

lids fused loosely: -1 tightly: -2

GENITALS (Male)

scrotum flat, smooth

testes in testes upper descending, canal, few rugae rare rugae prominent clitoris & enlarging minora majora & minora equally prominent

GENITALS (Female)

clitoris prominent & labia flat

References : Ballard JL, Khoury JC, Wedig K, et al: New Ballard Score, expanded to include extremely premature infants. J Pediatrics 1991; 119:417-423.

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MedCalc: Ballard Assessment of Gestational Age

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