Gestational Age Conformity between New Ballard Score and Last Menstrual Period in Newborn with Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Abstract

Background: Gestational age is required to determine diagnosis and optimal management of newborns. The gold standard for gestational age determination is the first day of last menstrual period (LMP). However, not all mothers remember their LMP. Another method for gestational age determination after birth is the New Ballard Score (NBS). This method measures gestational age using two main components, namely neorumuscular and physical maturity. In premature infants, surfactant deficiency leads to hypoxia which eventually leads to neuromuscular disorders. This situation may cause younger gestational age estimation when using NBS. The objective of this study was to analyze the conformity between NBS and LMP in determining gestational age in newborns with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).