All issues > Volume 21(1); 1978

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1978;21(1):19-25. Published online January 31, 1978.

Clinical Assessment of Gestational Age in the Term and Postterm Newborn.

Kwang Wook Ko

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Korea.

Abstract

Clinical assessment of gestational age in 251 newborns of the term and post-term born at the Seoul National University Hospital from March 1977 to Sept. 1977 was carried out to study the correlaticn between the gestational age derived from LMP and the clinically estimated gestational age utilizing Lubchenco's method. The results are as follows; 1) number of items, among clinical physical criteria, that demonstrated the high correlation percentage from 75 to 100% between the gestational age by LMP and the clinically estimated gestational age with clinical physical criteria was observed in 13items in 38 week, 11 items in 39 weeks, 8 items in 40 weeks, 5 items in 41 weeks and 4 items in 42 weeks or more respectively, with remarkable decline of the correlation percentage as the gestational age is advanced. The steady high correlation percentage thoroughout from the term to post-term gestational age was noted in item of recoil-leg, hair, lanugo and recoil-arm. 2) The high steady correlation percentage between the gestational age by LMP and one by neurologic examination is observed in items of rooting reflex, vertical position, pupillary reflex, glabellar tap, in order among neurologic examination, although their correlation is declining along with the advancement of gestationa age. 3) Neurologic examination seems to be better than clinical physical criteria, in estimating the gestational age.

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