BALLARD SCORE

Question 1

The gestational age of fetus or of a newborn can be assessed by three different methods

Answer 1

✓ the mothers menstrual history (date of last menstrual period or LMP),
✓ prenatal ultrasonography and the
✓ postnatal maturation examination

Question 2

And accurate menstrual history, when obtainable, remains the best measure of gestational age, But
depends upon normal maternal physiology and an accurate and reliable history

Answer 2

BALLARD SCORE

Question 3

The prenatal ultrasound examination is one indirect method of assessing gestational age Of the fetus.

Answer 3

✓ It uses fetal body part measurements to estimate
gestational age, And therefore it relies upon normally timed and proportioned fetal growth rates.
✓ Highly accurate method of assessing gestational age when performed early in gestation).
✓ late trimester ultrasound measurement provide an
inaccurate measure of fetal gestational age.

Question 4

Ballard examination performed between 12 and 24 hours of life,

Answer 4

Since certain fetal stresses may occur without the patient’s or the physicians knowledge, The assessment of gestational age by
maturation exam can also be in accurate.

However the neonatal maturational examination still remains the most universally excepted method of assessing gestational age after
birth.