Biomaterial Database

Baby Check: a scoring system to grade the severity of acute systemic illness in babies under 6 months old. 1991

C J Morley, and A J Thornton, and T J Cole, and P H Hewson, and M A Fowler

Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge.

A scoring system has been developed to grade the severity of acute systemic illness in babies under 6 months of age. Data were collected on 28 symptoms and 47 signs from 1007 babies with a spectrum of illness ranging from well to seriously ill. Ordinal regression analysis identified 19 symptoms and signs which in combination graded the severity of the illness most accurately. The coefficients were converted to scores. The higher the score the more serious the illness. When applied to a theoretical cohort of 10,000 babies at home, a score less than 8 has a specificity of 98%, and a score of 13 or more a sensitivity of 92%. The positive predictive value for serious illness increases from zero at a score of zero to approaching 100% at scores over 30. The scoring system has been developed into score cards for parents and professionals.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D009035	Mothers	Female parents, human or animal.	Mothers' Clubs,Club, Mothers',Clubs, Mothers',Mother,Mother Clubs,Mother's Clubs,Mothers Clubs,Mothers' Club
D010808	Physical Examination	Systematic and thorough inspection of the patient for physical signs of disease or abnormality.	Physical Exam,Examination, Physical,Physical Examinations and Diagnoses,Exam, Physical,Examinations, Physical,Exams, Physical,Physical Examinations,Physical Exams
D011237	Predictive Value of Tests	In screening and diagnostic tests, the probability that a person with a positive test is a true positive (i.e., has the disease), is referred to as the predictive value of a positive test; whereas, the predictive value of a negative test is the probability that the person with a negative test does not have the disease. Predictive value is related to the sensitivity and specificity of the test.	Negative Predictive Value,Positive Predictive Value,Predictive Value Of Test,Predictive Values Of Tests,Negative Predictive Values,Positive Predictive Values,Predictive Value, Negative,Predictive Value, Positive
D003625	Data Collection	Systematic gathering of data for a particular purpose from various sources, including questionnaires, interviews, observation, existing records, and electronic devices. The process is usually preliminary to statistical analysis of the data.	Data Collection Methods,Dual Data Collection,Collection Method, Data,Collection Methods, Data,Collection, Data,Collection, Dual Data,Data Collection Method,Method, Data Collection,Methods, Data Collection
D006760	Hospitalization	The confinement of a patient in a hospital.	Hospitalizations
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012720	Severity of Illness Index	Levels within a diagnostic group which are established by various measurement criteria applied to the seriousness of a patient's disorder.	Illness Index Severities,Illness Index Severity