Comparative study of various methods of gestational age assessment at birth
Battisti, O.; Swartebroeckx, Y.; Armengol, A.R.; Lamboray, A.M.; Dubois, P.; Legrand, B.; Bertrand, J.M.; Langhendries, J.P.
Revue Medicale de Liege 42(19): 780-785
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0370-629X PMID: 3317698 Document Number: 296874
A prospective study was carried out in 110 newborns to compare gestational age calculated from the date of last menstruation with that obtained by 5 other methods: Finnstroem score, Dubowitz score, early and late fetal ultrasound, and EEG. The comparison was carried out according to the following breakdown: 1) all of the newborns, 2) only those newborns with a neonatal pathology, 3) dysmature newborns, and 4) newborns grouped according to their gestational age established by the date of last menstruation (less than 34 wks, between 34-37 wks, more than 37 wks). When the newborns were considered as a group, the 5 methods tested provided gestatinal age values that were not statistically different. In the 3 other breakdowns the Finnstroem score, which does not include the neurological aspect in its criteria, was closest to the date of last menstruation method. Nevertheless, the difference between the Finnstroem and Dubowitz scores was 4 days at maximum. The EEG provided a precise gestational age in only 35-50% of the cases.