1. A Ballard assessment examines an infant's neuromuscular and physical development to indirectly assess gestational age at birth. It involves evaluating several areas including skin texture, lanugo hair coverage, foot creases, breast development, ear cartilage, and genital maturity. Scores are given for each area based on illustrations and assigned a gestational age based on the total points. It can help estimate the maturity of newborns, especially those born prematurely.

1. BALLARDS

2. DEFINITION
A postnatal fetal maturational examination. It is an
Indirect method of assessing gestational age,
based upon fetal neuromuscular and physical
maturation.

3. Procedure
The newborn's neuromuscular examination
includes an assessment of both active and
passive muscle tone.
Muscle tone may be defined as "the slight
constant tension of healthy muscles which
contribute a slight resistance to passive
displacement of a limb."

4. The newborn's neuromuscular examination
includes an assessment of both active and
passive muscle tone.
Passive tone may be further subdivided into
extensor and flexor tone.
The human fetus, lying primarily with limbs
extended in the very early phases of
development, gradually assumes a
progressively flexed attitude. Passive flexor
tone gradually overcomes passive extensor
tone as maturation progresses.

5. NEUROMUSCULAR
MATURITY

6. SIGN 0 1 2 3 4 5
POSTURE
SQUARE
WINDOW
(WRIST)
ARM RECOIL
POPLITEAL
ANGLE
SCARF SIGN
HEAL TO EAR

7. POSTURE
With infant supine and quiet score as follows
0 = arms and legs extended
1 = flexion of hips and knees, arms extended
2 = slight or moderate flexion of hips and
knees
3 = legs flexed and abducted, arms slightly
flexed
4 = full flexion of arms and legs

9. SQUARE WINDOW (WRIST)
Flex hand at the wrist. Exert pressure sufficient to get as much
flexion as possible. The angle between hypothenar eminence and
anterior aspect of forearm is measured and scored. Do not rotate
wrist. Compare angle to chart. 90°, 60°, 45°, 30°, and 0°

10. ARM RECOIL
With infant supine, fully flex forearm for 5 second, then fully extend by
pulling the hands and release. Score as follows:
0 = Remain extended or random movements
2 = Incomplete or Partial flexion
4 = Brisk return to full flexion

11. POPLITEAL ANGLE
With infant supine and pelvis flat on examining surface, flex leg on
thigh and fully flex with one hand. With the other hand extend leg and
score the angle attained according to the chart.
0 = 180 degree
1 = 160 degrees
2 = 130 degrees
3 = 110 degrees
4 = 90 degrees
5 = < 90 degrees

12. SCARF SIGN
With infant supine, draw
infants hand across the
neck and as far across the
opposite shoulder as
possible. Assistance to
elbow is permissible by
lifting it across the body.
Score according to location
of the elbow.
0 = Elbow reaches opposite
anterior axillary line
1 = Elbow between
opposite anterior axillary
line and midline of the
thorax
2 = Elbow at midline of
thorax
3 = Elbow does not reach
midline of thorax
4 = Elbow at proximal
axillary line

13. HEEL TO EAR
With infant supine, hold infants
foot with one hand and move it as
near to the head as possible
without forcing it. Keep pelvis flat
on examining surface. The
examiner feels for resistance to
extension of the posterior pelvic
girdle flexors and notes the
location of the heel where
significant resistance is
appreciated. Landmarks noted in
order of increasing maturity
include resistance felt when the
heel is at or near the: nose (0);
chin level (1); nipple line (2);
umbilical area (3); and femoral
crease (4)

14. Procedure
Each designated body part (skin texture,
color, lanugo, foot creases, genitalia, ear and
breast maturity) is INSPECTED and given a
score of 0 -5.
This observational scoring should be done as
soon as possible after birth.

15. SIGN 0 1 2 3 4 5
SKIN Gelatinous
Red
Translucent
Smooth
Pink
Visible
Veins
Superficial
peeling &
or Rash few
veins
Cracking
Pale areas
Rare veins
Parchment
Deep
Cracking
No Veins
Leathery
Cracked
Wrinkled
LANUGO None Abundant Thinning Bald Areas Mostly Bald
PLANTAR
CREASES
No Crease Faint Red
Marks
Anterior
Transverse
Crease Only
Creases
Anterior 2/3
Creases
Cover entire
Sole
BREAST Barely
Perceptible
Flat Areola
No bud
Stippled
Areola
1-2 mm bud
Raised
Areola
3-4 mm bud
Full Areola
5-10 mm
bud
EAR Pinna Flat
stays folded
Slightly
curved
Pinna, soft
with slow
recoil
Well curved
Pinna, Soft
but ready
recoil
Formed and
firm with
instant
recoil
Thick
Cartilage
Ear Stiff
GENITALS
Male
Scrotum
Empty ,
No rugae
Testes
descending,
few Rugae
Testes
down, good
Rugae
Testes
Pendulous,
Deep Rugae
GENITALS
Female
Prominent
Clitoris
Majora and
Minora
Equally
Prominent
Majora
Large
Minora
Small
Clitoris &
Minora
completely
covered

16. 1. Skin
■ Maturation of fetal skin involves the
development of its intrinsic structures concurrent
with the gradual loss of its protective coating,
the vernix caseosa. Hence, it thickens, dries and
becomes wrinkled and/or peels, and may
develop a rash as fetal maturation progresses.

18. 2. Lanugo
■ Lanugo is the fine hair covering the body of the fetus.
■ In extreme immaturity, the skin lacks any lanugo. It
begins to appear at approximately the 24th to 25th
week and is usually abundant, especially across the
shoulders and upper back, by the 28th week of
gestation.
■ Thinning occurs first over the lower back, wearing
away as the fetal body curves forward into its mature,
flexed position. Bald areas appear and become larger
over the lumbo-sacral area. At term, most of the fetal
back is devoid of lanugo, i.e., the back is mostly bald.

20. 3. Plantar Surface
■ This item pertains to the major foot creases
on the sole of the foot. The first appearance
of a crease appears on the anterior sole at
the ball of the foot. this may be related to foot
flexion in utero, but is contributed to by
dehydration of the skin.
■ Very premature and extremely immature
infants have no detectable foot creases.

22. 4. Breast
■ The breast bud consists of breast tissue that
is stimulated to grow by maternal estrogens
and fatty tissue which is dependent upon fetal
nutritional status. the examiner notes the size
of the areola and the presence or absence of
stippling (created by the developing papillae
of Montgomery). The examiner then palpates
the breast tissue beneath the skin by holding
it between thumb and forefinger, estimating its
diameter in millimeters, and selects the
appropriate square on the score sheet.

24. 5. Eye / Ear
■ The pinna of the fetal ear changes it configuration
and increases in cartilage content as maturation
progresses. Assessment includes palpation for
cartilage thickness, then folding the pinna forward
toward the face and releasing it. The examiner notes
the rapidity with which the folded pinna snaps back
away from the face when released, then selects the
square that most closely describes the degree of
cartilagenous development.
■ In very premature infants, the pinnae may remain
folded when released. In such infants, the examiner
notes the state of eyelid development as an
additional indicator of fetal maturation.The examiner
places thumb and forefinger on the upper and lower
lids, gently moving them apart to separate them. The
extremely immature infant will have tightly fused
eyelids, i.e., the examiner will not be able to separate
either palpebral fissure with gentle traction.

27. 6. Genitals-Male
■ The fetal testicles begin their descent from the
peritoneal cavity into the scrotal sack at
approximately the 30th week of gestation. The left
testicle precedes the right and usually enters the
scrotum during the 32nd week. Both testicles are
usually palpable in the upper to lower inguinal canals
by the end of the 33rd to 34th weeks of gestation.
Concurrently, the scrotal skin thickens and develops
deeper and more numerous rugae.
■ Testicles found inside the rugated zone are
considered descended. In extreme prematurity the
scrotum is flat, smooth and appears sexually
undifferentiated. At term to post-term, the scrotum
may become pendulous and may actually touch the
mattress when the infant lies supine.

29. 7. Genitals-Female
■ To examine the infant female, the hips should be only
partially abducted, i.e., to approximately 45° from the
horizontal with the infant lying supine. Exaggerated
abduction may cause the clitoris and labia minora to
appear more prominent, whereas adduction may
cause the labia majora to cover over them.
■ In extreme prematurity, the labia are flat and the
clitoris is very prominent and may resemble the male
phallus. As maturation progresses, the clitoris
becomes less prominent and labia minora become
more prominent. Nearing term, both clitoris and labia
minora recede and are eventually enveloped by the
enlarging labia majora.

31. MATURITY RATING

32. Scoring for a Ballard assessment scale
SCORE WEEKS
5 26
10 28
15 30
20 32
25 34
30 36
35 38
40 40
45 42
50 44
■ The point total from assessment is
compared to the left column. The
matching number in the right
column reveals the infant‘s age in
gestation weeks.

33. THANK YOU