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Mid arm circumference (MAC) and body mass index (BMI)--the two important auxologic parameters in neonates
R Bindu Nair1, K E Elizabeth, S Geetha
1Department of Pediatrics, SAT Hospital for Women and Children, Government Medical College, Thiruvanathapuram - 695 011, Kerala, India.
Insights
Accurate birth weight measurement is crucial but often lacking in developing nations. Mid-arm circumference (MAC) is a simple, effective alternative for identifying low birth weight (LBW) neonates.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal health
- Pediatric anthropometry
- Public health in developing countries
Background:
- Accurate birth weight is a key health predictor, but often unrecorded in developing countries.
- Neonatal weight loss complicates assessment of low birth weight (LBW) status.
- Simple anthropometric measures are needed to identify LBW neonates retrospectively.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate surrogate anthropometric parameters for identifying low birth weight (LBW) neonates.
- To assess the utility of mid-arm circumference (MAC) as a predictor of LBW.
- To recommend a practical method for LBW identification in resource-limited settings.
Main Methods:
- Review of auxologic parameters for neonatal assessment.
- Evaluation of mid-arm circumference (MAC) as a surrogate for birth weight.
- Analysis of sensitivity and specificity for MAC at a 9 cm cutoff.
Main Results:
- Mid-arm circumference (MAC) is identified as the most useful and simplest surrogate for LBW.
- A MAC cutoff of 9 cm demonstrated 92% sensitivity and 90.5% specificity for LBW identification.
- Ponderal index and Body Mass Index (BMI) are noted for growth retardation and obesity/CED assessment, respectively.
Conclusions:
- Mid-arm circumference (MAC) is a recommended, reliable alternative for identifying low birth weight (LBW) neonates where accurate weighing is unavailable.
- Tracking Body Mass Index (BMI) from neonatal period to adulthood is advised for intervention planning and outcome prediction.
- Improved anthropometric assessment in neonates is vital for predicting long-term health outcomes.
Abstract:
Even though birth weight is the most sensitive predictor of health and outcome, accurate weighing and proper recording are not done in most developing countries. Most neonates lose 10% of body weight soon after birth and when such babies subsequently come for medical care, it becomes difficult to know whether the baby was low birth weight (LBW) at birth or not, to predict the outcome. Among the many surrogate auxologic parameters to identify LBW babies, mid arm circumference (MAC) was found to be the most useful and simplest. At a cut off of 9 cm, with a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 90.5% to identify LBW, MAC is recommended as an alternative measurement. Ponderal index is measured in neonatal period to identify growth retardation. Body mass index (BMI) is a very useful index in children and adults to identify obesity/chronic energy deficiency (CED). Tracking of BMI from neonatal period to adulthood is recommended to plan intervention and predict outcome. The mean BMI observed in the present study was 12.86 kg/m2 close to the expected of 13.
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