Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Evaluation of the Mercy TAPE: performance against the standard for pediatric weight estimation
Susan M Abdel-Rahman1, Ian M Paul, Laura P James
1Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Medical Toxicology, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, MO, and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO.
Insights
The new 2D- and 3D-Mercy TAPE devices provide more accurate pediatric weight estimation than the Broselow method, performing well across a wider age range.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric emergency medicine
- Medical device technology
- Clinical assessment tools
Background:
- Accurate pediatric weight estimation is critical for appropriate medication dosing and resuscitation in emergency settings.
- Existing methods like the Broselow tape have limitations in accuracy and applicability across diverse pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance of two novel devices, the 2D-Mercy TAPE and 3D-Mercy TAPE, for pediatric weight estimation.
- To compare the accuracy of the Mercy TAPE devices against the established Broselow method.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, multicenter, observational study enrolled 624 children aged 2 months to 16 years.
- Measurements included height/length, weight, humeral length, and mid-upper arm circumference.
- Weight estimations from 2D-Mercy TAPE, 3D-Mercy TAPE, and Broselow tape were compared to actual weights.
Main Results:
- The 2D- and 3D-Mercy TAPEs demonstrated lower mean errors (0.3 kg and 0.2 kg, respectively) compared to the Broselow tape (-1.3 kg).
- A higher percentage of children had weight predictions within 10% and 20% of actual weight with the Mercy TAPE devices (2D: 76%/98%; 3D: 65%/93%) versus Broselow (59%/91% after excluding those too tall for the device).
- Concordance between both TAPE devices and the Mercy Method exceeded 0.99.
Conclusions:
- The 2D- and 3D-Mercy TAPEs are superior to the Broselow tape for estimating pediatric weight.
- These new devices offer improved accuracy and broader applicability for weight estimation in children.
Study Objective:
We assessed the performance of 2 new devices (2D- and 3D-Mercy TAPE) to implement the Mercy Method for pediatric weight estimation and contrasted their accuracy with the Broselow method.
Methods:
We enrolled children aged 2 months through 16 years in this prospective, multicenter, observational study. Height/length, weight, humeral length, and mid-upper arm circumference were obtained for each child, using calibrated scales and measures. We then made measurements with blinded versions of the 2D- and 3D-TAPEs. Using height/length data, we calculated the weight estimated by the Broselow method. We contrasted measures with mean error, mean percentage error, and percentage predicted within 10% and 20% of actual.
Results:
Six hundred twenty-four participants (median 8.5 years, 27.6 kg, 17.3 kg/m(2)) completed the study. Mean error was 0.3 kg (mean percentage error 1.6%), 0.2 kg (mean percentage error 1.9%), and -1.3 kg (mean percentage error -4.1%) for 2D-, 3D-, and Broselow, respectively. Concordance between both TAPE devices and the Mercy Method was greater than 0.99. The proportion of children predicted within 10% and 20% of actual weight was 76% and 98% for the 2D-TAPE and 65% and 93% for the 3D-TAPE. Excluding the 209 (33%) children who were too tall for the device, Broselow predictions were within 10% and 20% of actual weight in 59% and 91%.
Conclusion:
The 2D- and 3D-Mercy TAPEs outperform the Broselow tape for pediatric weight estimation and can be used in a wider range of children.
