Gestational age-specific centile charts for anthropometry at birth for South Indian infants

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Neonatology
• Public Health

Background:

• Accurate growth monitoring is essential for assessing infant health and development.
• Existing national and international growth charts may not accurately reflect local populations.
• Standardized centile charts are needed for consistent clinical assessment of newborns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct updated centile charts for birth weight, length, and head circumference for infants born between 24 and 42 weeks of gestation.
• To compare these new charts with existing Indian and international growth references.
• To provide a more accurate reference for assessing fetal growth and identifying potential growth abnormalities.

Main Methods:

• An observational descriptive study was conducted.
• Data from 31,391 singleton infants (24-42 weeks gestation) were analyzed for birth weight, length, and head circumference.
• Smoothened percentile curves were generated using the Lambda Mu Sigma (LMS) method, separately for males and females.

Main Results:

• Centile curves for birth weight, length, and head circumference were successfully created.
• Female infants were lighter than males from 35 weeks gestation onwards.
• Compared to Indian charts, study weights were similar/lower (<35 weeks) or higher (>35 weeks); compared to international data, study birth weights were consistently lower across all gestations and centiles.

Conclusions:

• The developed centile charts serve as a vital reference for the local population's birth measurements.
• Utilizing outdated or Western charts can lead to misclassification of infants as small for gestational age (SGA) or large for gestational age (LGA).
• These updated charts ensure more accurate infant assessment at birth, improving clinical decision-making.