Weight to length ratio--a good parameter for determining nutritional status in preterm and full-term newborns.
To identify which parameter showed the strongest correlation with neonatal body fat store, when the ratios for assessing both weight-for-length and the mid-arm circumference to head circumference (MAC/HC) were included in the analysis, body anthropometrics and skinfold thickness were measured in 250 full-term and 125 preterm infants. Among the study cases, 66.7% were appropriate for gestational age, 26.7% were small for gestational age and 6.7% were large for gestational age. Sum of the skinfold thickness measured at the midtricepital and subscapular areas correlated well with body anthropometrics, weight/length ratio, body mass index, ponderal index and mid-arm circumference to head circumference ratio. Multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that the weight/length ratio correlated best with skinfold thickness in both full-term and preterm newborn infants. Therefore, the simple weight/length ratio might be useful for evaluation of the nutritional status of intrauterine growth, and in the prediction of metabolic complications in both full-term and preterm newborns with abnormal intrauterine growth.
Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Republic of China.
K I
KI
Yau
M H
MH
Chang
D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000502:physiology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012885:Skinfold Thickness