DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2022.v10i02.017

Pages: 239-244

Background: Assessment of gestational age is important in clinical practice to identify infants at risk for morbidity and mortality related to their gestational age. Globally, LMP date is uncertain or unknown in 20% of pregnant women. In most developing countries, the majority of women are uncertain about LMP and are more likely to be late attendees for prenatal care. In Bangladesh, assessment of gestational age by using NBS, has not been evaluated. Aim: The aim of the study was to validate New Ballard Score (NBS) for assessment of gestational age among Bangladeshi newborns. Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Paediatrics and in the Department of Gynaecology & Obstetrics, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, from January 2014 to June 2014. A total of 100 newborns of both sexes (whose mothers provided exact history of last menstrual period (LMP) and confirmed by prenatal ultrasonography) were included in the study. Prenatal ultrasonography was performed in 17 + 10 weeks (mean + SD) of gestation. Informed consent was taken from all the mothers. Gestational age of the babies was determined on the basis of New Ballard Score. Confirmed gestational age• • by Last Menstrual Period (C-GLMP) was defined as gestational age by Last Menstrual Period confirmed by agreement within two weeks with gestational age by prenatal ultrasonography. The study included assessment of gestational age of newborns by New Ballard Score (NBS), by menstrual history & assessment of confirmed gestational age by menstrual history and by prenatal ultrasonography. Comparison was made between assessed gestational age by NBS and confirmed gestational age by (both LMP and USG) in cases of both preterm and term newborns. Assessed gestational age by NBS and assessed gestational age by menstrual history were also compared with gestational age assessed by USG. Results: The mean (±SD) age of babies examined were 29.6 (±15.2) hr and range 0.5-94 hr. Out of 100 .....