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New Ballard Scale
New Ballard Scale ( 5 Questions)
A nurse is using the New Ballard Scale to assess the gestational age of a newborn.
What does a higher score on the scale indicate?
Prematurity means that the newborn is born before the normal term of pregnancy, which is usually less than 37 weeks of gestation.Premature infants have lower scores on the New Ballard Scale because they have less developed physical and neuromuscular features.
Developmental delays mean that the newborn has not reached certain milestones of growth and development that are expected for their age.
Neurological immaturity means that the newborn has not developed sufficient brain function and nervous system activity that are necessary for survival and adaptation.
A higher score on the New Ballard Scale indicates that the newborn is more mature based on physical and neuromuscular characteristics.The scale can be used to estimate the gestational age of a newborn infant when there is no reliable obstetrical information or a major discrepancy between the estimated date of delivery and the infant’s appearance.The scale is accurate only within plus or minus 2 weeks and can be used up to 4 days after birth, but usually within the first 24 hours.
Maturity. A higher score on the New Ballard Scale indicates that the newborn is more mature based on physical and neuromuscular characteristics. The scale can be used to estimate the gestational age of a newborn infant when there is no reliable obstetrical information or a major discrepancy between the estimated date of delivery and the infant’s appearance. The scale is accurate only within plus or minus 2 weeks and can be used up to 4 days after birth, but usually within the first 24 hours.
Choice A is wrong because prematurity means that the newborn is born before the normal term of pregnancy, which is usually less than 37 weeks of gestation. Premature infants have lower scores on the New Ballard Scale because they have less developed physical and neuromuscular features.
Choice B is wrong because developmental delays mean that the newborn has not reached certain milestones of growth and development that are expected for their age.
Developmental delays are not directly related to the gestational age of a newborn and cannot be assessed by the New Ballard Scale.
Choice C is wrong because neurological immaturity means that the newborn has not developed sufficient brain function and nervous system activity that are necessary for survival and adaptation.
Neurological immaturity is not the same as neuromuscular maturity, which is one of the components of the New Ballard Scale. Neuromuscular maturity refers to the posture, tone, reflexes, and movements of the newborn’s muscles and joints.