title: Assessing the growth of preterm infants using detailed anthropometry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Preterm infants display altered body composition compared to term infants, and weight gain is a crude indicator body composition. Childhood mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) is a measure of nutritional status. This study investigates MUAC and mid-thigh circumference (MTC) to monitor growth in preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preterm infants (<30-week gestation) were recruited. MUAC, MTC, weight, length and head circumference (HC) were measured at recruitment and weekly intervals until discharge. Descriptive, correlation and regression analyses were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-three infants were recruited. Median measurement duration was eight weeks (1-19). Median gestational age was 27 weeks (23-29). Analysis by curve estimation displayed a mean increase of 2.58 mm/week (left MUAC) (p ≤ 0.0001), 2.56 mm/week (right MUAC) (p ≤ 0.0001), 4.16 mm/week (left MTC) (p ≤ 0.0001), 4.20 mm/week (right MTC) (p ≤ 0.0001). Coefficients of determination (R2) were calculated using a growth regression model for MUAC and MTC (0.866-0.917); measures were comparable to growth modelling of weight (0.913), length (0.945) and HC (0.928). High concordance between left and right MUAC and MTC generated a Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.999 (MUAC) (p ≤ 0.001) and 0.994 (MTC) (p ≤ 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data demonstrate the potential utility of MUAC and MTC as additional measures of growth in preterm infants that are reproducible over time. There is potential to gain insights to improve lean-mass accretion in preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Southampton Children's Hospital, Southampton, UK.|Department of Neonatal Medicine, Princess Anne Hospital, Southampton, UK.|NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ashton
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatal Medicine, Princess Anne Hospital, Southampton, UK.|NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatal Medicine, Princess Anne Hospital, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pond
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatal Medicine, Princess Anne Hospital, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Philippa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Crowley
authors.affiliation: Primary Care and Population Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Borislav D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Dimitrov
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatal Medicine, Princess Anne Hospital, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Freya
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Southampton Children's Hospital, Southampton, UK.|NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: R Mark
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Beattie
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male
keywords: Anthropometry; Growth; Growth - perinatal; Neonatology; Nutrition