Clinical assessment of gestational age in the newborn infant

Abstract

A scoring system for gestational age, based on 10 neurologic and 11 "external" criteria, has been applied to 167 newborn infants. The "external" score gave a better correlation with gestation than did the neurologic score, but the combined total score was better than either alone. The correlation coefficient for the total score against gestation was 0.93. The error of prediction of a single score was 1.02 weeks and of the average of two independent assessments was 0.7 weeks. The method gives consistent results within the first 5 days and is equally reliable in the first 24 hours of life. This scoring system is more objective and reproducible than trying to guess gestational age on the presence or absence of individual signs. © 1970 The C. V. Mosby Company.