title: Arm area measurements as indices of nutritional reserves and body water in African newborns.
abstract: Although application of non-invasive techniques for early evaluation of body water, calorie and protein reserves has been available for more than two decades, there is a dearth of information on the evaluation of extracellular water, protein and calorie reserves in the African newborn. A cross-sectional study of arm area measurements was undertaken in 510 term new-born infants consisting of 318 infants who were normal weight term infants (NWTI) with a mean birth weight of 2898.5 +/- 287.7 g and 192 low birth weight term infants (LBWTI) with a mean birth weight of 2176.5 +/- 194.7 g. The triceps skin fold thickness (TSF), the arm fat area (AFA), percentage of arm area (AFA%) and arm water area (AWA) were significantly greater in females than males weighing > 2500 g at birth (P < 0.05), though the mean birth weight and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) were similar (P > 0.05). With the exception of AFA%, all measured and calculated indices were significantly lower in LBWTI than in the NWTI irrespective of sex (P < 0.05). The measurements may aid detection of newborns at risk of developing malnutrition in an area of the world where childhood undernutrition is common.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Akinyinka
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Sanni
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Falade
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Akindele
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sowumi
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods*; D001132:Arm / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001724:Birth Weight; D001823:Body Composition; D001827:Body Height; D001834:Body Water; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007228:Infant Nutrition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D009549:Nigeria; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012885:Skinfold Thickness