An anthropometric survey of US pre-term and full-term neonates

Oct-17

Journal Article

Authors:

Volume:
44

Pagination:
678-686

Issue:
8

Journal:
Ann Hum Biol

PMID:
29037091

URL:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29037091

DOI:
10.1080/03014460.2017.1392603

Keywords:
*Anthropometry Female Gestational Age Humans *Infant Infant, Newborn/*growth & development Infant, Premature/growth & development Male United States Extra-uterine growth anthropometry circumference growth reference infants limb length

Abstract:
<p>BACKGROUND: Anthropometric data prove valuable for screening and monitoring various medical conditions. In young infants, however, only weight, length and head circumference are represented in publicly accessible databases. AIM: To characterise length and circumferential measures in pre-term and full-term infants up to 90 days post-natal. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In eight US medical centres, trained raters recorded humeral, ulnar, femoral, tibial and fibular lengths along with mid-upper arm, mid-thigh, chest, abdominal and neck circumference. Data were pooled by post-menstrual age into 1-week intervals and population curves created using the lambda, mu and sigma (LMS) method. Goodness-of-fit was assessed by examining de-trended quantile-quantile plots, Q statistics and fitted centiles overlaid on empirical centiles. RESULTS: In total, 2097 infants were enrolled in this study with a mean +/- SD gestational age and post-natal age of 37.1 +/- 3.3 weeks and 27.3 +/- 25.3 days, respectively. A re-scale option was used to describe all curves. The resultant models reliably characterised anthropometric measures from 33-52 weeks PMA, with less certainty at the extremes (27-55 weeks). CONCLUSION: The population curves generated under this investigation expand existing reference data on a comprehensive set of anthropometric traits in infants through the first 90 days post-natal.</p>