Neonatal Foot Length: An Alternative Predictor of Low Birth Weight Babies in Rural India

Background: Birth weight is an important parameter and a determinant factor regarding perinatal morbidity and mortality. However in rural area of developing countries, weighing facility may not be available for all home deliveries, where an alternative parameter like foot length may be considered in place of birth weight. Objective: The present study was undertaken to find out the best simple anthropometric parameter for identifying low birth weight (LBW) babies. Study design: Hospital-based cross-sectional study. Participants: Newborn babies born in AVBRH hospital, Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha. Methods: All Consecutive full-term, Single ton, live born babies were included and anthropometric measurements carried out within 48 hours after birth. Results: Out of 520 newborn babies, there were 267 male and 253 female babies. Foot length (FL) attained the highest correlation with birth weight (r = 0.715) while mid arm circumference (MAC) attained the lowest (r = 0.355). FL had the highest coefficient of determination (r2 value= 0.511). Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was done to identify the optimal cut-off points of these anthropometric measures separately for LBW babies. The best discrimination of LBW, as detected by Area under curve (AUC), was obtained by FL (AUC = 0.909, 95% CI 0.01330.93538) followed by length (AUC = 0.89, 95% CI 0.87642-0.92969). Length of 49cm, head circumference (HC) of 33cm, MAC of 9.5cm, and chest circumference (CC) of 30cm and FL of 8cm were the corresponding cut-off values with the best combination of sensitivity and specificity for identifying LBW babies. Conclusion: FL appears to be better indicators for picking up LBW babies. These parameter can be used at community level by health workers for early detection of LBW babies.

• Publication year

  2016

• Venue

  Unknown venue

• Publication date

  2016-08-05

• Fields of study

  Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.19080/AJPN.2016.01.555569
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Detection of low birth weights in newborns by Foot length as proxy measure

  2014cited by this paper
• Determining an anthropometric surrogate measure for identifying low birth weight babies in Uganda: a hospital-based cross sectional study

  2013cited by this paper
• Measuring New Born Foot Length to Identify Small Babies in Need of Extra Care: a Cross-Sectional Hospital Based Study

  2013cited by this paper
• Meta-Analysis: Identification of Low Birthweight by Other Anthropometric Measurements at Birth in Developing Countries

  2011cited by this paper
• Anthropometric surrogates to identify low birth weight Nepalese newborns: a hospital-based study

  2008cited by this paper
• Predictor of low birth weight babies by anthropometry.

  2007cited by this paper
• Relationship between the surrogate anthropometric measures, foot length and chest circumference and birth weight among newborns of Sarlahi, Nepal

  2007cited by this paper
• Anthropometric measurements in the detection of low birth weight infants in Lagos.

  2003cited by this paper
• Prediction of birth weight from simple anthropometric measurements in Indian male and female new born babies.

  1999cited by this paper
• Calf circumference as a predictor of low birth weight babies.

  1996cited by this paper
• Association between birth weight and birth arm circumference of neonates in rural Egypt

  1994cited by this paper
• Newborn's arm circumference as a screening tool of low birth weight in Temeke District, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

  1994cited by this paper
• Consistent accuracy of mid arm circumference and calf circumference as birth weight surrogates during first few days.

  1994cited by this paper
• Rural neonatal care: Dahanu experience.

  1992cited by this paper
• Size at birth of Sri Lankans

  1991cited by this paper
• Neonatal assessment beyond birth weight.

  1991cited by this paper
• Thigh circumference at birth as the best predictor of low birth weight babies.

  1989cited by this paper
• Neonatal thigh circumference as an alternative indicator of low birth weight.

  1986cited by this paper
• The contribution of low birth weight to infant mortality and childhood morbidity.

  1985cited by this paper
• Mid-arm and chest circumferences at birth as predictors of low birth weight and neonatal mortality in the community.

  1985cited by this paper
• Birth weight as an indicator of health.

  1984cited by this paper
• 'Foot length'--a newer approach in neonatal anthropometry.

  1984cited by this paper
• BIRTH WEIGHT OF HAUSA INFANTS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

  1979cited by this paper
• Physical growth: National Center for Health Statistics percentiles.

  1979cited by this paper

• Study of foot length measurement as a screening tool to identify low birth weight and preterm neonates

  2020cites this paper
• Postnatal foot length of newborn: its correlation with gestational maturity

  2020cites this paper
• A cross-sectional study on the correlation between postnatal foot length and various other anthropometric parameters along with the gestational age

  2020cites this paper
• Newborn with Small Feet

  2019cites this paper
• Interpretation of low birth weight babies by anthropometric measurements in South India

  2018cites this paper
• CORRELATION OF NEONATAL BIRTH WEIGHT WITH OTHER ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS - A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

  2018cites this paper
• Foot length of newborn: Its correlation with gestational age and various anthropometric parameters.

  2017cites this paper
• Clinical study of the correlation of foot length and birth weight among newborns in a tertiary care hospital

  2017cites this paper