title: Maternal mid-upper arm circumference is associated with birth weight among HIV-infected Malawians.
abstract: The authors examined the relationship of maternal anthropometry to fetal growth and birth weight among 1005 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women in Lilongwe, Malawi, who consented to enrollment in the Breastfeeding, Antiretrovirals, and Nutrition Study (www.thebanstudy.org). Anthropometric assessments of mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), arm muscle area (AMA), and arm fat area (AFA) were collected at the baseline visit between 12 and 30 weeks' gestation and in up to 4 follow-up prenatal visits. In longitudinal analysis, fundal height increased monotonically at an estimated rate of 0.92 cm/wk and was positively and negatively associated with AMA and AFA, respectively. These latter relationships varied over weeks of follow-up. Baseline MUAC, AMA, and AFA were positively associated with birth weight (MUAC: 31.84 g/cm(2), 95% confidence interval [CI], 22.18-41.49 [P < .01]; AMA: 6.88 g/cm(2), 95% CI, 2.51-11.26 [P < .01]; AFA: 6.97 g/cm(2), 95% CI, 3.53-10.41 [P < .01]). In addition, MUAC and AMA were both associated with decreased odds for low birth weight (LBW; <2500 g) (MUAC: odds ratio [OR] = 0.85, 95% CI, 0.77-0.94 [P < .01]; AMA: OR = 0.95, 95% CI, 0.91-0.99 [P < .05]). These findings support the use of MUAC as an efficient, cost-effective screening tool for LBW in HIV-infected women, as in HIV-uninfected women.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. roshan.m.thomas@gmail.com
authors.forename: Roshan T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Ramlal
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tembo
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soko
authors.forename: Maggie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chigwenembe
authors.forename: Sascha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ellington
authors.forename: Dumbani
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kayira
authors.forename: Caroline C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chasela
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jamieson
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van der Horst
authors.forename: Margaret E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bentley
authors.forename: Linda S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Adair
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001132:Arm / Q000473:pathology*; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008295:Malawi; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology