[Assessment of the new Ballard score to estimate gestational age].
OBJECTIVE
The New Ballard Score (NBS) is commonly used to estimate gestational age (GA) in the newborn. The aims of this study were: a) to determine the reliability of the NBS; b) to estimate the agreement between two methods of GA assessment, NBS and ultrasonography (US) or last menstrual period (LMP); c) to estimate the agreement between NBS and US/LMP in distinct subgroups of neonates.


METHODS
We performed a prospective, blind study. NBS was performed in neonates born in Hospital 12 Octubre, Madrid before the age of 48 hours. The level of agreement was estimated with two analytical parameters: the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the mean differences method (MD).


RESULTS
Inter-observer agreement was very good (ICC > 0.8). Agreement between US/LMP and NBS was good (ICC = 0.6-0.8). In infants with lower weight or GA, and in those whose mothers had received prenatal corticosteroid therapy, NBS tended to overestimate GA compared with US/LMP (MD = 1.2-2.9).


CONCLUSIONS
The agreement between two observers in NBS assessment was very good. The agreement between NBS and US/LMP was good, but differences of more than 2 weeks in GA were frequent. In very preterm newborns and in infants whose mothers had received prenatal corticosteroid therapy, NBS tends to overestimate GA.
Marín Gabriel
M A
MA
Departamento de Pediatría, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain. pedmgma@terra.es
Martín Moreiras
J
J
Lliteras Fleixas
G
G
Delgado Gallego
S
S
Pallás Alonso
C R
CR
de la Cruz Bértolo
J
J
Pérez Estévez
E
E
D000886:Anthropometry; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010808:Physical Examination; D015203:Reproducibility of Results