MATURATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF GESTATIONAL AGE (New Ballard Score)

NAME________________________________

SEX __________________________________

HOSPITAL NO. ________________________

BIRTH WEIGHT ________________________

RACE_________________________________

LENGTH ______________________________

DATE/TIME OF BIRTH __________________

HEAD CIRC. ___________________________

DATE/TIME OF EXAM __________________

EXAMINER ___________________________

AGE WHEN EXAMINED ________________

APGAR SCORE: 1 MINUTE _____________5 MINUTES ______________10 MINUTES______________
NEOMUSCULAR MATURITY
SCORE

NEUROMUSCULAR
MATURITY SIGN

-1

RECORD
SCORE
HERE

SCORE
Neuromuscular _______
Physical ______________
Total ________________

POSTURE
MATURITY RATING
SQUARE WINDOW
(Wrist)

>90

90

60

45

30

ARM RECOIL
180

140 180

110 140

90 110

<90

160

140

120

100

90

POPLITEAL ANGLE
180

HEEL TO EAR

TOTAL NEUROMUSCULAR
MATURITY SCORE

PHYSICAL MATURITY

SKIN

SCORE
-1
sticky
friable
transparent

gelatinous
superficial
smooth pink
red
peeling &/or
visible veins
translucent
rash, few veins

WEEKS

-10

20

-5

22

24

26

10

28

15

30

20

32

25

34

30

36

35

38

40

40

45

42

50

44

<90

SCARF SIGN

PHYSICAL
MATURITY SIGN

SCORE

cracking
pale areas
rare veins

parchment
deep cracking
no vessels

leathery
cracked
wrinkled

RECORD
SCORE
HERE

GESTATIONAL AGE
(weeks)

LANUGO

none

sparse

abundant

thinning

bald areas

mostly bald

>50 mm
no crease

faint
red marks

anterior
transverse
crease only

creases
ant. 2/3

creases over
entire sole

imperceptible

barely
perceptible

flat areola
no bud

stippled areola raised areola full areola

12 mm bud 34 mm bud 510 mm bud

lids fused
loosely: -1
tightly: -2

lids open
pinna flat
stays folded

sl. curved
pinna; soft;
slow recoil

well-curved
formed & firm thick cartilage
pinna; soft but
instant recoil
ear stiff
ready recoil

heel-toe
PLANTAR SURFACE 4050 mm: -1
< 40 mm: -2
BREAST

EYE / EAR

GENITALS
(Male)

GENITALS
(Female)

testes in
scrotum flat, scrotum empty upper canal
smooth
faint rugae
rare rugae
clitoris
prominent
& labia flat

prominent
clitoris & small
labia minora

prominent
clitoris &
enlarging
minora

testes
descending
few rugae

testes down
good rugae

testes
pendulous
deep rugae

majora &
majora
majora large
minora equally
cover
clitoris
minora small
prominent
& minora

Reference
Ballard JL, Khoury JC, Wedig K, et al: New Ballard Score, expanded to include extremely premature infants.
J Pediatr 1991; 119:417423. Reprinted by permission of Dr Ballard and MosbyYear Book, Inc.

TOTAL PHYSICAL
MATURITY SCORE

By dates _____________
By ultrasound ________
By exam _____________