scholarly journals A study on new-born foot length measurement to identify high risk neonate

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 1078
Author(s):  
P. Sampathkumar ◽  
S. Amudha Devi

Background: In India, most of the neonatal mortality is due to low birth weight and prematurity. Since the majority of deliveries were conducted at the peripheral level, logistic constraints make it difficult for early and reliable identification of low birth weight babies who require extra care. There are so many studies have been conducted to find out an alternative anthropometric measurement for birth weight and Gestational age. One such innovation is the Foot length measurement. Various studies have been conducted on foot length reliability as a proxy measurement. The aim of the present study is to study the correlation between foot length and other variables like birth weight, gestational age, chest circumference and head circumference among small for gestational age, appropriate for gestational age and large for gestational age and to determine utility of using foot length as a screening tool to identify small babies (LBW/premature) in need of extra care.Methods: It is a cross-sectional descriptive study of 2000 neonate conducted in Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital, Salem. Babies with lower limb anomaly were excluded from the study. The foot length, head & chest circumference, birth weight and gestational age of the study population were collected by using standard methods. The study group was categorized based on their sex, maturity and gestational age.Results: The study group included 53.7% of male and 46.3% female babies. There were 81.4% term and 18.6% preterm babies. In this study group, there were 85.1%, 14.3% and 0.6% of AGA, SGA and LGA babies respectively. The mean foot length for term babies observed in this study is 6.91 cm with the standard deviation of 0.44. The mean foot length for preterm babies is 5.94 cm with a standard deviation of 0.43. Statistically, by performing Scheffe’s multiple comparisons tests the foot length was found to be significantly different in AGA, SGA and LGA babies.Conclusions: Foot length is a simple and more reliable anthropometric measurement to assess the birth weight and gestational age in newborn babies. Foot length can emerge as an important anthropometric measurement in neonates and can be used to screen prematurity and SGA babies in need of care.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1926
Author(s):  
Nitesh Upadhyay ◽  
Minhajuddin Ahmed

Background: Gestational age and birth weight is an important predicator for morbidity and mortality in neonates. Aim was to determine the correlation of foot length with birth weight and gestational age in neonates.Methods: This was a prospective observational study done in the neonatal unit department of pediatrics in Chirayu medical college and hospital, Bhopal. There were 1739 deliveries included during the study period from January 2016 to December 2020. Study group comprised of all live born babies delivered in within 24 hours of birth who fulfilled the inclusion criteria.Results: The study comprised of 1739 newborn babies, out of which 896 (51.51%) were males and 843 (48.49%) were females. Male:female ratio 1.06:1. In our study group, 337 (15.6%) babies were preterm and 1385 (84.39%) were of term gestation. We found a positive linear correlation of foot length with all birth weight groups in a newborn with a correlation coefficient (r=0.78) and p<0.001 was found. Similarly, a positive correlation of foot length and gestational age of newborn in both term and preterm babies with (r=0.83) with p<0.01. Foot length has 87.4% sensitivity and 91.7% specificity among low-birth-weight babies with respect to cut off foot length of 75.5 mm. Foot length has 78.7% sensitivity and 63.7% specificity among preterm babies.Conclusions: Foot length can be used as a screening tool to identify low birth weight (LBW) and preterm babies as it had a higher sensitivity and specificity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 414-419
Author(s):  
Dr. Abhinaya Arun Raj ◽  
◽  
Dr. K. Maheswari ◽  

Introduction: This study was done to assess the utility of foot length in determining theanthropometric parameters of a newborn in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Materials andMethods: This cross-sectional study among 270 newborns were done at Sri Venkateswaraa medicalcollege hospital and research centre, from Nov 2018 to May 2020. All the healthy live newbornswere taken into the study and newborns with congenital lower limb anomalies were excluded.Results: The mean birth weight of the neonate 2.948+0.344 kg which ranged from 2.050 kg to3.750kg. The mean foot length, head circumference and chest circumference of the foot length was8.113+0.468 cm, 48.989+1.093 cm, 34.437+0.659 cm and 32.372+0.734 cm respectively. The footlength had a maximum correlation with birth weight (r-value=0.905) followed by gestational age (r-value=0.809), length (r-value=0.786), head circumference (r-value=0.719) and chest circumference(r-value=0.603). Conclusion: Foot length had a significant correlation with birth weight andgestational age of the neonates. Foot length also correlated significantly with other anthropometricvariables like length, head circumference and chest circumference.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 979
Author(s):  
Gowri S. ◽  
Kumar G. V.

Background: Gestational age and birth weight are the two most useful parameters for assessing maturity of the newborn. Major causes of neonatal mortality are diseases associated with low birth weight babies (LBW). It has been shown that foot length measurement is particularly valuable in premature babies who are so ill that conventional anthropometric measurements cannot be carried out due to the incubator and intensive care apparatus. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of pediatrics Sri Siddhartha Medical College Hospital, Tumkur, India. The birth weight in grams and length of the foot were documented in centimeters. Data was collected using standard proforma.Results: A total of 600 neonates were studied of which, males were 54.67 % (328) and females were 45.33 % (272). The neonates weighing less than 2.5 kg had a mean foot length of 6.94. The mean foot length for neonates weighing between 2.5 to 3.5 was 7.68. The mean foot length for neonates weighing more than 3.5 kg was 8.2cm. The correlation coefficient of birth weight with foot length was maximum in low birth weight babies (r= 0.94).Conclusions: The foot length is an efficient screening tool in identifying low birth weight babies. Foot length is a simple, quick and reliable anthropometric measurement which can be used as a proxy measurement to birth weight especially in sick and pre-term neonates receiving intensive care. 


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 2333794X1878817
Author(s):  
Ndubuisi Kennedy Chukwudi ◽  
Huldah Ijeoma Nwokeukwu ◽  
Gilbert Nwadiakanma Adimorah

Background. This prospective study was conducted to identify a suitable alternative to birth weight and establish its cutoff point to facilitate the identification of low-birth-weight (LBW) infants in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria. Methods. The study involved newborn babies within the first 48 hours of life. Five anthropometric measurements (head, chest, mid-arm and calf circumferences, as well as abdominal girth) were taken using a tape measure while supine length was measured with an aluminum infantometer. Birth weight was also recorded. Linear regression analysis was done to identify the measurement with the highest coefficient of determination with birth weight while its cutoff point was defined using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Standard statistical tests were used to determine the statistical significance of the findings. Results. The LBW prevalence for the study population was 21.41%. Chest circumference had the highest R2 value of 0.83 for the general study population and 0.72 for the LBW infants. The identified cutoff point for chest circumference is ⩽30 cm. Conclusion. Chest circumference is the best alternative to birth weight in identifying LBW babies within the first 48 hours of life in this environment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 1582
Author(s):  
Jayalakshmi Pabbati ◽  
Preethi Subramanian ◽  
Mahesh Renikuntla

Background: A baby’s weight at birth is a strong indicator of newborn health and nutrition. Low birth weight (LBW) babies are more susceptible to morbidities and mortality in early neonatal period than normal birth weight (NBW) babies. Among neonatal deaths, 80% occurs in LBW / preterm babies and 75% of total neonatal deaths occur in early neonatal period. The present study was undertaken to know the incidence and early neonatal outcome of LBW babies in rural area.Methods: Prospective observational study was conducted in babies born with <2.5 kg (LBW) birth weight.Results: The incidence of LBW babies was 25.07% with almost an equal contribution from preterm (50.46%) and Term Intra Uterine Growth Restricted (IUGR) (49.53%) babies. The most common morbidity found in LBW babies was Jaundice (40.09%) followed by respiratory distress (18.16%), sepsis (8.72%) and apnea (4.48%). Preterm-LBW babies had more morbidities in terms of apnea (100%), birth asphyxia (88.88%), respiratory distress (87.01%%), sepsis (80.55%) and jaundice (67.64%). Early neonatal mortality was 21.22 per 1000 live births. Mortality was 100% for babies <1 kg in birth weight, 16% in 1-1.499 kg group and 0.75% in 1.5-2.499 kg group in early neonatal period. According to gestational age, mortality in preterm-LBW babies was 88.88% and 11.11% in Term IUGR-LBW babies. The most common cause of death in LBW babies was birth asphyxia (44.44%) followed by hyaline membrane disease (HMD) (33.33%).Conclusions: The present study revealed that preterm babies contributed 50% to incidence of LBW babies. Morbidity and mortality in LBW babies were inversely related to birth weight and gestational age.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 91 (3) ◽  
pp. 572-577
Author(s):  
David N. Greenberg ◽  
Bradley A. Yoder ◽  
Reese H. Clark ◽  
Clifford A. Butzin ◽  
Donald M. Null

Previous studies suggest that low birth weight black infants have less morbidity and birth-weight-specific mortality during the perinatal period than low birth weight white infants. We studied the effect of maternal race on outcome in preterm infants born at a military hospital that offers free access to obstetric and neonatal care. Between January 1, 1986, and December 31, 1991, data were prospectively collected on all 667 infants delivered at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center with an estimated gestational age of less than 35 weeks. Three hundred ninety-two white infants and 165 black infants were included in the data analysis. The mean (±SD) birth weight was 1701 ± 65 g for white infants and 1462 ± 66 g for black infants. The mean estimated gestational age was 31.0 ± 3.2 weeks for white infants and 29.9 ± 3.8 weeks for black infants. Preeclampsia was more frequent in black mothers than in white mothers for the entire study population (21% vs 14%), but the birth weight differential between races remained after correction for preeclampsia. There were no significant differences between races in stillbirths, gender, maternal age, maternal transfer status, number of prenatal visits, or percentages of mothers with small-for-gestational-age infants, multiple-gestation infants, prolonged rupture of membranes, or initial prenatal visit during the first trimester. Intraventricular hemorrhage was more frequent in white infants at 27 through 29 weeks estimated gestational age (50% vs 13%). There were no significant differences between the two groups in survival or in the occurrence of severe infraventricular hemorrhage or bronchopulmonary dysplasia. It is concluded that preterm black infants are smaller than preterm white infants when matched for gestational age despite essentially equal utilization of prenatal care. However, maternal race has little direct effect on the survival of liveborn preterm infants in this population.


Author(s):  
S.H. Elbeely ◽  
M.A. AlQurashi

BACKGROUND: Very low birth weight infants born prematurely are at greater risk for growth delays that lead to Ex-utero Growth Restriction (EUGR) during vulnerable periods of organ structural and functional development. There is considerable evidence that early growth failure has adverse effects on long term neurodevelopment in children which often persists into adulthood. METHODS: This is a single-center cross-sectional study on live newborn infants with birth weight ranges from 500 to 1500 grams (VLBW) and gestational age (GA) between 24–32 weeks who were admitted to NICU at KAMC-Jeddah over a 5 year period (2009–2013). This study aims to evaluate predischarge growth pattern of VLBW infants in terms of weight, head circumference (HC) and length and to identify important variables that have influenced such growth pattern. RESULTS: Of the 135 infants included in the final analysis, 68 (50.4%) were male and 67 (49.6%) were female and the mean gestational age was 28.83±2.064 weeks and the mean birth weight 1166.74±256 grams. Ninety-two infants (68%) had discharge weight at ≤10th percentile and forty four (32%) had their weight >10th percentile. HC was the lowest affected among the anthropometric measurements with 42% ≤10th percentile. In terms of linear growth, 62% had their length ≤10th percentile. Amongst infants born ≤750 grams, 71% and 70% had HC and height at ≤10th percentile respectively, at the time of discharge. BPD was significantly associated with EUGR (p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that almost 2/3rd of VLBW infants born at KAMC-Jeddah with birth weight ≤750 grams were discharged home with EUGR as demonstrated by their weight, length, and HC ≤10th percentile. BPD was found to be significantly associated with EUGR amongst post-natal factors influencing EUGR.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nisha Kumari ◽  
Ashish Jain ◽  
Siddarth Ramji

Abstract Objective To determine predictors of nutritive-sucking in babies < 34 weeks and estimate the appropriate preterm sucking readiness (PTSR) score as an indicator of readiness of nutritive-sucking. Methods Prospective longitudinal observational study conducted in Neonatal unit of a referral hospital attached to Medical College. Forty-nine inborn babies of 28-34 weeks’ gestation and on full gavage feeds were enrolled. Results (a) Nutritive-sucking was achieved at a median age of 14 days (Range 7–50). (b) Low birth weight (LBW) (< 1531.1 ± 142.8) and lesser gestational age (GA) (< 32.8 ± 1) were poor predictors (p < 0.05) and have a significant independent negative association (Correlation birth weight (BW) - 0.0222, GA − 2.2177) with age at which established nutritive-sucking was achieved. (c) PTSR score of ≥9 had the best prediction for achievement of nutritive-sucking at 14-days of life, with a sensitivity of 92.3% and specificity of 100%. Conclusion PTSR score is a sensitive and specific tool to predict the readiness for nutritive-sucking in preterm babies < 34 weeks.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e027912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Mazzucco ◽  
Elisa Tavormina ◽  
Maurizio Macaluso ◽  
Claudia Marotta ◽  
Rosanna Cusimano ◽  
...  

ObjectivesIn response to public health concern about effects of arson at solid waste management plants in July 2012, we analysed vital statistics data to evaluate any potential effect on pregnancies at different gestational ages of pollutants emitted from the landfill on fire.SettingA community living near the largest landfill plant in Sicily.ParticipantsThe study group comprised 551 births, live births and stillbirths from pregnancies of mothers residing in the extra-urban exposed area, conceived during a 40 week period during which the highest fire’s peak might have influenced pregnancy.Primary and secondary outcome measuresBirth outcomes (gestational age <37 and <32 weeks, low birth weight, very low birth weight and small for gestational age) in the study group were compared with the ones of a reference group of women residing in areas of Sicily with similarly low population density and industrial development.ResultsAmong singleton live births we observed a three-fold increase in risk of very preterm birth between the extra-urban area and the remaining low inhabitants density and unindustrialised areas for births whose pregnancies were in the third trimester (OR adjusted for maternal age and infant gender=3.41; 95% CI 1.04 to 11.16). There was an excess of very low birth weight singleton infants in the study group as compared with the reference group, which was limited to births to mothers exposed during periconception period (OR adjusted for maternal age and infant gender=4.64; 95% CI 1.04 to 20.6) and first trimester (OR adjusted for maternal age and infant gender=3.66; 95% CI 1.11 to 12.1). The association estimates were imprecise due to the small number of outcomes recorded.ConclusionsThe study documented an excess of very preterm and very low birth weight among infants born to mothers exposed to the landfill fire emissions during conception or early pregnancy.


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