Abstract
Neonatal anthropometry is an inexpensive, noninvasive and convenient tool for bedside evaluation, especially in sick and fragile neonates. Anthropometry can be used in neonates as a tool for several purposes: diagnosis of foetal malnutrition and prediction of early postnatal complications; postnatal assessment of growth, body composition and nutritional status; prediction of long-term complications including metabolic syndrome; assessment of dysmorphology; and estimation of body surface. However, in this age group anthropometry has been notorious for its inaccuracy and the main concern is to make validated indices available. Direct measurements, such as body weight, length and body circumferences are the most commonly used measurements for nutritional assessment in clinical practice and in field studies. Body weight is the most reliable anthropometric measurement and therefore is often used alone in the assessment of the nutritional status, despite not reflecting body composition. Derived indices from direct measurements have been proposed to improve the accuracy of anthropometry. Equations based on body weight and length, mid-arm circumference/head circumference ratio, and upper-arm cross-sectional areas are among the most used derived indices to assess nutritional status and body proportionality, even though these indices require further validation for the estimation of body composition in neonates.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Abbreviations
- AA:
-
Arm area
- AFA:
-
Arm fat area
- AGA:
-
Appropriate-for-gestational age
- AMA:
-
Arm muscle area
- BS:
-
Biceps skinfold
- BSF:
-
Body surface
- BW:
-
Birth weight
- CHL:
-
Crown-heel length
- CI:
-
Cephalic index
- CTS:
-
Central to total skinfold ratio
- DEXA:
-
Dual X-ray absorptiometry
- HC:
-
Head circumference
- IUGR:
-
Intrauterine growth restriction
- LBW:
-
Low birth weight LGAlarge-for-gestational age
- MAC:
-
Mid-arm circumference
- MAC/HC:
-
Mid-arm circumference/head circumference ratio
- PI:
-
Ponderal index
- SBS:
-
Subscapular skinfold
- SGA:
-
Small-for-gestational age
- SPS:
-
Suprailiac skinfold
- TBF:
-
Total body fat
- TS:
-
Tricipital skinfold
- VLBW:
-
Very low birth weight
- WAA:
-
Water arm area
- W/L:
-
Weight-for-length ratio
References
Ananth CV, Vintzileos AM, Shen-Schwarz S, Smulian JC, Lai YL Obstet Gynecol. 1998;91:917–24.
Beattie RB, Johnson P Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1994;101:842–6.
Current JD. Internet J Anesthesiol. 1998;2(2).
Dangerfield PH, Taylor CJ Early Hum Dev. 1983;8:225–33.
De Bruin NC, Van Velthoven KAM, Stijnen T, Juttmann RE, Degenhart HJ, Visser HKA Am J Clin Nutr. 1995;61:1195–205.
Ehrenkranz RA, Younes N, Lemons JA, Fanaroff AA, Donovan EF, Wright LL, Katsikiotis V, Tyson JE, Oh W, Shankaran S, Bauer CR, Korones SB, Stoll BJ, Stevenson DK, Papile LA Pediatrics. 1999;104:280–9.
Engstrom E, Wallgren K, Hellstrom A, Niklasson A Acta Paediatr. 2003;92:211–5.
Fenton TR. BMC Pediatr. 2003;3:13.
Fletcher MA. In: Fletcher MA, editor. Physical diagnosis in neonatology. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott-Raven; 1998; pp. 29–54.
Gibson AT, Carney S, Wright NP, Wales JKN Horm Res. 2003;59 (suppl 1):119–28.
Jaquet D, Deghmoun S, Chevenne D, Collin D, Czernichow P, Levy-Marchal C Diabetologia. 2005;48:849–55.
Jellifee EFP, Jelliffee DB. The arm circumference as a public health index of protein-calorie malnutrition of early childhood. J Trop Pediatr. 1969;32:1527-30.
Johnson TS, Engstrom JL, Gelhar DK J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 1997;24:497–505.
Koo WW, Walters JC, Hockman EM J Nutr. 2000;130:2188–94.
Koo WW, Walters JC, Hockman EM Pediatr Res. 2004;56:694–700.
Lubchenco LO, Hansman C, Boyd E Pediatrics. 1966;37:403–8.
Meban C. J Anat. 1983;137:271–8.
Olhager E, Forsum E Acta Paediatr. 2006;95:21–8.
Olsen IE, Richardson DK, Schmid CH, Ausman LM, Dwyer JT Pediatrics. 2002;110:1125–32.
Olsen IE, Lawson ML, Mainzen-Derr J, Sapsford AL J Pediatr. 2009;154:486–91.
Olsen IE, Groveman SA, Lawson ML, Clark RH, Zemel BS Pediatrics. 2010;125;e214–e24.
Owen P. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 1997;24:8–10.
Patterson RM, Pouliot MR Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1987;157:691–3.
Patterson RM, Pouliot MR. Neonatal morphometrics and perinatal outcome: who is growth retarded? Am J Obstet Gynecol 1987;157:691–3.
Paulsson L, Bondemark L Angle Orthod. 2009;79:276–83.
Pereira-da-Silva L, Gomes JV, Clington A, Videira Amaral JM, Bustamante SA Early Hum Dev. 1999;54:117–28.
Pereira-da-Silva L, Bergmans KIM, van Kerkhoven LAS, Leal F, Virella D, Videira-Amaral JM Acta Paediatr. 2006;95:742–6.
Pereira-da-Silva L, Virella D, Amaral JMV, Guerra A Anthropometry in the newborn: revisited and updated. Lisbon: Nestlé Nutrition Institute(edited in Portuguese); 2007.
Pereira-da-Silva L, Abecasis F, Virella D, Videira-Amaral JM Neonatology. 2009;95:74–9.
Prins I. Pediatric Rev Commun. 1995;8:157–70.
Rodríguez G, Samper MP, Ventura P, Moreno LA, Olivares JL, Pérez-González JM Eur J Pediatr. 2004;163:457–61.
Rolland-Cachera MF, Brambilla P, Manzoni P, Akrout M, Sironi S, Del Maschio A, Chiumello G Am J Clin Nutr. 1997;65:1709–13.
Rubin LP. Postnatal growth in preterm infants: too small, too big, or just right? J Pediatr 2009;154:473-5.
Sann L, Durand M, Picard J, Lasne Y, Bethenod M Arch Dis Child. 1988;63:256–60.
Sasanow SR, Georgieff MK, Pereira G J Pediatr. 1986;109:311–5.
Schmelzle HR, Fusch C. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002;76:1096–100.
Shinwell ES, Shlomo M. Measured length of normal term infants changes over the first two days of life. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2003;16:537-40.
Shinwell ES, Shlomo M J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2003;16:537–40.
Tamim H, Beydoun H, Itani M, Khogali M, Chokr I, Yunis KA; National Collaborative Perinatal Neonatal Network. J Perinat Med. 2004;32:509–13.
Thornton CJ, Shannon DL, Hunter MA, Brans YW Pediatr Res. 1982;16:989–94.
Uhing MR, Das UG Clin Perinatol. 2009;36:165–76.
Uthaya S, Thomas EL, Hamilton G, Dore CJ, Bell J, Modi N Pediatr Res. 2005;57:211–5.
Wilcox MA, Johnson IR, Maynard PV, Smith SJ, Chilvers CE Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1993;100:342–7.
Yau KI, Chang MH Acta Paediatr. 1993;82:427–9.
Zankl A. Pediatrics. 2004;114:e333–6.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Pereira-da-Silva, L. (2012). Neonatal Anthropometry: A Tool to Evaluate the Nutritional Status and Predict Early and Late Risks. In: Preedy, V. (eds) Handbook of Anthropometry. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1788-1_65
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1788-1_65
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1787-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1788-1
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)