Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 2, 2026
Transabdominal Ultrasound for Pregnancy Diagnosis in Reeves' Muntjac Deer
Published on: January 7, 2014
Improving the assessment of gestational age in a Zimbabwean population
S A Feresu1, B W Gillespie, M F Sowers
1Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. sferesu@umich.edu
Objectives:
To evaluate the performance and the utility of using birthweight-adjusted scores of Dubowitz and Ballard methods of estimating gestational age in a Zimbabwean population.
Method:
The Dubowitz and the Ballard methods of estimating gestational age were administered to 364 African newborn infants with a known last menstrual period (LMP) at Harare Maternity Hospital.
Results:
Both methods were good predictors of gestational age useful in differentiating term from pre-term infants. Our regression line was Y((LMP gestational age))=23.814+0.301*score for the Dubowitz and Y((LMP gestational age))=24.493+0.420*score for the Ballard method. Addition of birthweight to the regression models improved prediction of gestational age; Y((LMP gestational age))=23.512+0.219*score+0.0015*grams for Dubowitz and Y((LMP gestational age))=24.002+0.292*score+0.0016*grams for Ballard method.
Conclusions:
We recommend the use of our birthweight-adjusted maturity scales; the Dubowitz for studies of prematurity, and the Ballard for routine clinical practice.
