Sex-specific charts for abdominal circumference in term and near-term Caucasian newborns.
OBJECTIVE
Abdominal circumference (AC) assessment may be used as an index of abdominal visceral size, fetal fat store, and intrauterine nutrition. The aim of this study is to construct sex-specific references and smoothed percentiles for AC at birth in term and near-term Caucasian infants.


METHODS
AC was measured in 4542 singleton newborns (2323 males, 2219 females), at a gestational age > or =35 weeks. Smoothed percentiles for AC were constructed by sex and gestational age according to the LMS method.


RESULTS
Males had higher AC than females but differences were only statistically significant beyond 37 weeks. AC increased from 35 to 41 weeks in both sexes.


CONCLUSIONS
Sex-specific references constructed for AC in term and near-term Caucasian newborns might be used, as other anthropometric parameters, in the assessment of nutritional status at birth.
Rodríguez
Gerardo
G
Departamento de Pediatría, Radiología y Medicina Física, University of Zaragoza, Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, C/ Domingo Miral s/n. 50009 Zaragoza, Spain. gereva@comz.org
Samper
Ma Pilar
MP
Ventura
Purificación
P
Pérez-González
José Ma
JM
D000005:Abdomen / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000886:Anthropometry; D049628:Body Size; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012015:Reference Standards; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain; D047929:Term Birth; D044465:White People