Use of incremental weight charts with follow-up of high-risk infants.
A retrospective descriptive study was done to determine the potential usefulness of using incremental weight charts in the management of infants followed in a high-risk infant follow-up clinic. For this study, 135 charts were reviewed and 42 were subjected to data collection and analysis by using commercially available weight velocity charts. The incremental weight charts that were produced demonstrated that most of the infants studied had growth velocities well within the normal range; however, infants who had a history of bronchopulmonary dysplasia had a tendency to have weight velocities below the 5th percentile. Also observed was a correlation for infants born with a very low birth weight (< 1000 gm) to have somewhat lower, although usually normal, percentiles for later weight velocity. Analysis and comparison of these incremental charts with standard growth charts for these infants demonstrated that incremental weight charts appear to be superior to standard charts in graphically demonstrating changes in weight over time.
Desch
L W
LW
Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Madison.
D001835:Body Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors