Correlation of Birth Weight/Length Ratio to Skinfold Thickness in Full-Term Newborns

  • Asril Aminullan Department of Child Health, University of Indonesia Medical School/Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta
  • Yuliatmoko Suryatin Department of Child Health, University of Indonesia Medical School/Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta
  • Taralan Tambunan Department of Child Health, University of Indonesia Medical School/Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta
Keywords: birth weight/length ratio, skinfold thickness, nutritional status

Abstract

The determination of child/neonatal nutritional status based on their skinfold thickness has been widely known and accepted, but its daily implementation is quite difficult since this procedure needs specific tools and skills. Although still debatable, some anthropometric measurements, i.e., birth weight/length ratio were currently used as a mean to determine one's nutritional status. To find out the correlation of birth weight/length ratio to skinfold thickness of newborn babies based on gender, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 352 full-term infants (194 males, 158 females) born at the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital between June 14 to July 17, 1998. Of the male infants, their birth weight/length ratio showed a strong correlation to triceps and subscapular thickness (r=0.65 and 0.68, respectively); while the females revealed a strong correlation of birth weight/ length ratio to the triceps thickness (r=0.51) and a moderate correlation to the subscapular skin fold thickness (r=0,49). It was also found that the triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness in male infants were significantly lesser than  the females, with p values of 0.02 and 0.04, respectively. This study revealed that the birth weight/length ratio can be used as a mean to assess neonatal nutritional status.

References

1. Battaglia FC, Lubchenco W. A practical classification of newborn infants by weight and gestational age. J Pediatr 1967;71 :159-63.
2. Tanner JM, Whitehouse RH. Revised standards for triceps and subscapular skinfold in British children. Arch Dis Child 1975;50:142-5.
3. Zerfas AJ, Shorr IJ, Neumann CG. Office assessment of nutritional status. Pediatr Clin North Am 1977;24:253-72.
4. Dauncey MJ, Gandy G, Gairdner D. Assessment of total body fat in infancy from skinfold thiclmess measurement. Arch Dis Child 1977;52:223-7.
5. Oakley JR, Parson RJ, Whitelaw AGL. Standard for thiclmess in British newborn infants. Arch Dis Child 1977;52:287-90.
6. Yau KIT, Chang MH. Weight to length ratio: A good parameter for determining nutritional status in preterm and fullterm newborn~. Acta Pediatr 1992;82:427-9.
7. Madiyono B, Moeslichan S, Sastroasmoro S, Budiman I, Purwanto SH. Perkiraan besar sampel. In: Sastroasmoro S, Ismael S, eds. Dasar-dasar metodologi penelitian klinis. Jakarta:Binarupa Aksara; 1995.p.187-212.
8. Ballard JL, Khoury JC, Wedig K, et al. New Ballard Score, expanded to include extremely premature infants. J Pediatr 1991;119:417-23.
9. Alisjahbana A, Chaerulfatah A,Usman A,Sutresnawati S. Anthropometny of newborn infant in 14 teaching centers in Indonesia. Pediatr lndones 1994;34:62-123.
10 Copper RL, Goldenberg RL, Cliver SP, et al. Anthropometric assessment of body size differences of fulltenn male and female infants. Obstet Gynecol 1993 ;81: 161-4.
11. Farr V. Skinfold thiclmess as an indication of maturity of the newborn. Arch Dis Child 1966;41:301-8.
12. Catalano PM, Drago NM, Amini SB. Factors affecting fetal growth and body composition. Am J Obstet Gynecol1995; 172:1459-63.
13. Gibson M, Tulchinsky D. The maternal adrenal. In: Tulchinsky D, Ryan KJ, eds. Maternal-fetal endocrinology. Philadelphia: Saunders; 1980. p.129-293.
14. Griffin JE, Wilson JD. Disorders of the testes and the male reproductive tract. In: Wilson JD, Foster DW, eds. Williams textbook of endocnnology. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders; 1992.p. 799-852.
15. Dombrowski MP, Berry SM, Johnson MP, Saleh AA, Sokol RJ. Birth weight/length ratio, ponderal indexes, placental wetghts, and birth we1ght-placenta ratio m large population. Arch PediatrAdolesc Med 1994;148:508-12.
16. Wolfe AM, Brans YW, Gross TL, Bhatia RK, Sokol RJ. Correlation commonly. used measures of intrauterine growth with estimated neonatal body fat. Bml Neonate 1990;57:167-71. (Abstract)
17. Sumners JE, Findley GM, Ferguson KA. Evaluation method for intrauterine growth using neonatal fat stores instead of birth weight as outcome measures: fetal and neonatal measurements correlated with neonatal skinfold thiclmess. J Clin Ultrasound 1990;18:9-14. (Abstract)
Published
1999-10-30
How to Cite
1.
Aminullan A, Suryatin Y, Tambunan T. Correlation of Birth Weight/Length Ratio to Skinfold Thickness in Full-Term Newborns. PI [Internet]. 30Oct.1999 [cited 29Mar.2024];39(9-10):259-7. Available from: https://paediatricaindonesiana.org/index.php/paediatrica-indonesiana/article/view/1781
Received 2018-02-13
Accepted 2018-02-13
Published 1999-10-30