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Body mass index values for newborns according to gestational age
R S Brock1, M C Falcão, C Leone
1Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Nutricion Hospitalaria
|January 24, 2009
Summary
Newborn Body Mass Index (BMI) percentiles were established for different gestational ages. These findings provide a crucial reference for assessing infant growth and development in the neonatal period.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal research
- Pediatric anthropometry
- Growth assessment
Background:
- Assessing body composition and proportions in children is vital.
- Body Mass Index (BMI) is a key anthropometric measure relating weight and length.
- Established BMI values for the neonatal period were previously lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine Body Mass Index (BMI) values for newborns across various gestational ages.
- To create a smoothed percentile curve for neonatal BMI.
- To establish a reference for assessing intra-uterine proportional growth.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study of 2,406 appropriate-for-gestational-age newborns (29-42 weeks).
- Weight and length measurements were collected using standard procedures.
- A mathematical model ('sinusoidal fit') was applied to construct smoothed percentile curves (3rd-95th).
Main Results:
- Neonatal Body Mass Index (BMI) generally increased with gestational age up to 38 weeks.
- BMI stabilized between 38 and 40 weeks of gestation.
- A slight decrease in BMI was observed from 40 to 42 weeks in both genders.
Conclusions:
- A direct correlation exists between gestational age and Body Mass Index (BMI) across nine percentiles for both genders.
- The developed BMI percentile curves serve as a valuable reference for evaluating intra-uterine growth.
- This study addresses a critical gap in neonatal anthropometric assessment.
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