Prediction of weight of Indian children aged upto two years based on foot-length: implications for emergency areas.
BACKGROUND
Children presenting in critical care department might receive improper drug doses, as their weight and length cannot be determined while they are being resuscitated.


OBJECTIVE
To determine if there is a correlation between foot-length and weight, length and surface area and to compare the drug doses calculated as per predicted weight (determined on the basis of foot-length) with those calculated on the basis of actual weight.


METHODS
Weight, length and foot-length of children aged up to 24 months were determined in the prospective study. Analysis was done using simple linear regression analysis and by determination of coefficient of determination. The dosages of emergency medications (epinephrine, atropine, Ringers lactate and diazepam) were calculated on the basis of actual weight and dosages given in standard text and were then compared with dosages likely to be administered on the basis of weight predicted by foot-length measurement.


RESULTS
Five hundred subjects were enrolled in the study that demonstrated a significant linear relationship between foot-length and body weight (r2 = 0.88), total length (r2 = 0.88), and body surface area (r2 = 0.84). The weight could be predicted on the basis of the following formula Weight (kg)= [1.35 x foot-length (cm)] -5.15. The doses of drugs calculated on the basis of weight predicted from foot length were exceeded the standard dose by 2.35 to 2.40%.


CONCLUSIONS
In children aged up to 2 years, foot-length can be used to predict weight and calculate doses of emergency drugs.
Bavdekar
Sandeep B
SB
Department of Pediatrics, Seth G.S. Medical College and K.E.M. Hospital, Parel, Mumbai 400 012, Maharashtra, India. drsbavdekar@vsnl.com
Sathe
Shefali
S
Jani
Pranav
P
D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies