Gestational age assessment with clinical criteria and amniotic fluid study using point scoring system

A comparative study on gestational age assessment of 155 newborn infants was undertaken using a scoring system with the clinical criteria: (1) criteria of Dubowitz et al, (2) external criteria alone, and (3) primitive reflexes in relation to the amniotic fluid study. The effect of certain prenatal and perinatal abnormal states on the results of these methods was evaluated. The criteria of Dubowitz et al, external criteria and amniotic fluid studv showed greater accuracy than the primitive reflexes for the assessment of gestational age of normal infants, especially the preterm group. In asphyxiated babies and in babies of diabetic mothers, the neurological score, being poor, under-estimated the gestational age. The amniotic fluid score and the external criteria were more helpful than the neurological score for the assessment of gestational age in these states. Smoking and toxemia did not influence the score by any of the methods in normal infants. In dysmaturity, the amniotic fluid score and score by primitive reflexes were more reliable than the external criteria alone and the criteria of Dubowitz et al. In general, the amniotic fluid score was not influenced by abnormal states compared to scores by other methods.