Anthropometric Determinants of Low Birth Weight in Newborns of Hoshiarpur District (Punjab)
- A Hospital Based Study
Introduction
Birth weight is one of the main ways to tell if a community is in good health. After all, the new
children will grow up to represent the community. Birth weight is related to many long-term
diseases and disabilities, including death. Determining low birth weight (LBW) babies as soon as
possible is important to begin to build up weight and perhaps prevent these diseases from taking
hold.
The researchers chose this topic to study because “Of all neonatal death, nearly 82% occur
among LBW, which is highest in the world” (Bansal & Kaur, 2012). Early detection and
intervention is the key to lowering death and disease among low birth weight babies worldwide.
The scientists did this research to find the best measurement to identify low birth weight babies
as close to birth as possible. Determining if a baby will have a low birth weight provides an
opportunity to build up weight and prevent health problems that are largely associated with low
birth weight.
The researchers were trying to determine the best surrogate measurement and its cutoff points to
identify LBW babies. “…Prevention of LBW is an issue of public health importance and simple
reliable and suitable anthropometric surrogates need to be discovered to identify LBW babies…
To find surrogate measures for birth weight that could be used by birth attendants and health
workers in the north India to identify low birth weight neonates” (Bansal & Kaur, 2012).
Materials and Methods
The scientists gathered volunteer mothers in their ninth month of pregnancy and followed their
health and progress until they gave birth. Within two days of each birth, the scientists measured
each newborn in the areas they had agreed upon. Height was measured using an infantometer.
Weight was measured using a digital scale while the newborns were naked. Skin thickness was
measured using a Harpender skinfold caliper. Skinfold measurements were taken at the biceps,
triceps, subscapular and thigh. Inelastic tape was used to take circumference measurements. The
circumferences were of the crown-heel length, mid-upper arm, head, chest, thigh, calf, and
abdomen. They determined the best cutoff measurement using a univariate regression analysis.
Results
Data reveals that 20.23% of newborns had low birth weight. In both normal and LBW groups,
males were more common. An optimum cut off point for determining low birth weight newborns
was 47.45 cm for crown heel length, 32.52 cm for head circumference, 29.16 cm for chest
circumference, 8.44 cm for mid arm circumference, 18.40 cm for abdominal circumference,
11.63 for thigh circumference, 8.56 cm for calf circumference, 3.23 mm for subscapular
skinfold, 3.38 mm for biceps skinfold, 3.90 mm for triceps skinfold, and 4.71 mm for thigh
skinfold. No results were unexpected, though they did note that gender was not a significant
factor in LBW.
Discussion
The research supported the hypothesis that surrogate measurements could accurately determine
low birth weight babies. Mid arm circumference emerged as the best surrogate measurement at
100% accuracy, followed by chest circumference at 90.48% accuracy. The researchers feel that
their conclusion is final, when added to the various other studies on the same subject.
The researchers noted other studies on the same subject which came out with different ideal cut
off measurements. As each study resulted with different, though similar, cut off measurements, a
larger population would have been better for the study.
Bibliography
Bansal, R., & Kaur, H. (2012). Anthropometric Determinants of Low Birth Weight in Newborns
of Hoshiarpur District (Punjab) - A Hospital Based Study. Human Biology Review, 1(4),
376-386.