Determining gestational age and preterm birth in rural Guatemala: A comparison of methods.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Preterm birth is the leading cause of death among children <5 years of age. Accurate determination of prematurity is necessary to provide appropriate neonatal care and guide preventive measures. To estimate the most accurate method to identify infants at risk for adverse outcomes, we assessed the validity of two widely available methods-last menstrual period (LMP) and the New Ballard (NB) neonatal assessment-against ultrasound in determining gestational age and preterm birth in highland Guatemala.

Methods

Pregnant women (n = 188) were recruited with a gestational age <20 weeks and followed until delivery. Ultrasound was performed by trained physicians and LMP was collected during recruitment. NB was performed on infants within 96 hours of birth by trained study nu

SUBMITTER: Weinstein JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5858755 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature