The Reliability of Ponderal Index in Predicting Short-Term Complications of Small for Gestational Age Term Infants.
Abstract The birth weight (BW) for gestational age (GA) ensure a fair assessment of the nutritional status of small for gestational (SGA) infants. Ponderal index (PI) is used to identify wasting. This study aims to evaluate the association between PI values and short-term complications of term SGA infants and evaluate the reliability of PI. A total of 489 term SGA infants were included in this retrospective study. According to the PI values, the neonates were divided into three groups. Group 1 consisted of infants with low PI (PI < 10th percentile) (n=45), group 2 consisted of infants with appropriate PI (PI 10th-90th percentile) (n=405) and the ones with high PI (PI> 90th percentile) (n=39) constituted group 3. Demographic and clinical data of the mothers and neonates including clinical and laboratory assessments were collected and compared statistically. No difference was observed between the groups other than the incidence of hypoglycemia, jaundice requiring treatment and hospitalization rate, which were all significantly higher in low PI group than the group 2 and 3 (p=0.01, p=0.006 and p=0.04, respectively). None of the babies had severe morbidity or died.Conclusion: Although short-term complications were higher in term SGA infants with low PI, all term SGA infants should be defined as high-risk neonates and deserve special neonatal care and surveillance to prevent short-term complications.