Ballard_Maturational_Assessment
The Ballard Maturational Assessment, Ballard Score, or Ballard Scale, is a commonly used technique of gestational age assessment. It was devised by Dr Jeanne L. Ballard, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
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The assessment assigns a score to various criteria, the sum of all of which is then extrapolated to the gestational age of the fetus. These criteria are divided into physical and neurological criteria. This scoring allows for the estimation of age in the range of 26 weeks to 44 weeks. The New Ballard Score is an extension of the above to include extremely pre-term babies, i.e., up to 20 weeks.
The scoring relies on the intra-uterine changes that the fetus undergoes during its maturation. Whereas the neurological criteria depend mainly upon muscle tone, the physical ones rely on anatomical changes. The neonate (less than 37 weeks of age) is in a state of physiological hypotonia. This tone increases throughout the fetal growth period, meaning a more premature baby would have a lesser muscle tone.
It was developed in 1979.[1]