Normative data for triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses of Chinese infants.
Skinfold thickness is a validated parameter of subcutaneous fat accumulation. Data on triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses were collected from 10,043 (5318 males, 4725 females) singletons at 12 hospitals with gestation 31-42 wk. The LMS method using maximum penalized likelihood was used to perform model fitting of the anthropometric centiles for these parameters. Both triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses were greater in girls than in boys. Racial differences were found when comparing with other populations. The triceps subscapular skinfold thicknesses of Chinese infants were significantly lower than those of US white infants but larger than those of African-American infants, Israeli infants, Spanish infants and Indian infants.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides the first set of references for the triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses of Chinese infants by gestation and gender. These data are helpful in determining the nutritional status of infants at birth and in assessing the postnatal growth of Chinese infants.
Fok
Tai-Fai
TF
Department of Paediatrics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong. taifaifok@cuhk.edu.hk
Hon
Kam-Lun Ellis
KL
Ng
Pak-Cheung
PC
Wong
Ming-Chung Eric
MC
So
Hung-Kwan
HK
Lau
Tak-Fai Joseph
TF
Chow
Chun-Bong
CB
Lee
Wai-Hong
WH
Hong Kong Neonatal Measurements Working Group
D002681:China; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D012885:Skinfold Thickness