Gestational Age Assessment Question

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

In doing the Ballard / Dubowitz Gestational Age Assessment, what do you do if the "numbers" are in between? For example, your baby's composite score is "37" - Would you then estimate the newborn to then be 38 weeks 6 days, or just round to the next lowest number ("35") and simply estimate 38 weeks? What about a newborn who scores 29? Would you round down (25) or up (30)? Thanks for any insight you can offer me ?

[BETSRN]

VickyRN said:

In doing the Ballard / Dubowitz Gestational Age Assessment, what do you do if the "numbers" are in between? For example, your baby's composite score is "37" - Would you then estimate the newborn to then be 38 weeks 6 days, or just round to the next lowest number ("35") and simply estimate 38 weeks? What about a newborn who scores 29? Would you round down (25) or up (30)? Thanks for any insight you can offer me ?

Consider getting rid of the Ballard. Our new pediatric hospitalist had us stop doing them because they basically tell you very little of importance. They were a waste of time.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Agree with Betsy. Too many variables. If a kid is very LGA or is SGA, and couple this with dating, you know enough to take care of things based on these facts. We don't Ballard our kids, either. Ongoing assessments tell us all we need to know. I mean, take 36 weekers. One does GREAT, acts healthy and breastfeeds like a champ. The next, you cannot get to latch on to breast to save his life, can't hold his sugars, and/or develops breathing problems requiring special care nursery attention. Each kiddo is SO different, and those differences transcend the numbers we use in Ballard/Dubowitz scoring.