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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Updated gestational age specific birth weight, crown-heel length, and head circumference of Chinese newborns
1Department of Paediatrics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong. taifaifok@cuhk.edu.hk
Insights
New growth standards for Chinese infants were created, showing increased birth weight over time. These updated references are crucial for newborn care and should be regularly reviewed.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatal Health
- Anthropometry
Background:
- Accurate growth assessment is vital for monitoring infant health.
- Establishing up-to-date, population-specific growth charts is essential for clinical practice.
- Previous growth data for Chinese infants in Hong Kong may not reflect current trends.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop gestation-specific reference standards for birth weight, crown-heel length, and head circumference in Chinese infants.
- To provide updated anthropometric data for neonatal care in Hong Kong.
- To identify secular trends in infant growth parameters.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, cross-sectional population study involving over 10,000 newborns in Hong Kong.
- Standardized measurements of birth weight, crown-heel length, and head circumference were collected.
- The LMS method was employed for model fitting to construct the reference standards.
Main Results:
- Gestation-specific reference standards were successfully constructed for male and female Chinese infants.
- A statistically significant secular trend towards increased birth weight was observed compared to a 1982-1986 cohort.
- Slight but significant increases were also noted in crown-heel length and head circumference.
Conclusions:
- The developed growth standards offer valuable references for the clinical management of newborns of Chinese ethnicity.
- The findings highlight a secular trend of increasing birth weight, necessitating regular updates to growth standards.
- These updated standards are critical for accurate neonatal assessment and care.
Objective:
To construct gestation specific standards of birth weight, crown-heel length, and head circumference of Chinese infants.
Design:
A prospective cross sectional population study.
Methods:
The birth weight, crown-heel length, and head circumference were prospectively measured using standard equipment in newborns delivered at 24-42 weeks gestation in the maternity units of 10 public hospitals and two private hospitals in Hong Kong. The findings were used to construct gestation specific standards of these variables. The LMS method using maximum penalised likelihood was used to perform model fitting. The results were compared with those obtained from a cohort of infants born in the same locality between 1982 and 1986.
Results:
From October 1998 to September 2000, a total of 10 032 infants were measured, representing 9.6% of the total deliveries in Hong Kong during that period. An extra 307 infants with gestation < or = 35 weeks were recruited from October 2000 to June 2001. Each of the three variables showed a normal distribution at each gestational week. Gestation specific reference standards for each variable were constructed for male and female infants separately. Comparison with the 1982-1986 cohort showed a significant secular trend to increased birth weight. The trend was small, but significant, for crown-heel length and head circumference.
Conclusion:
These growth standards will provide useful references for the care of newborns of ethnic Chinese origin. These standards, especially that for birth weight, should be updated regularly.
