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Foot length in newborns small for gestational age
Mariana Vasconcelos Braga Chaves1, Camila Viana Ximenes1, Sandra Kátia Maciel Borba1
1Faculdade Pernambucana de Saúde (FPS), Pernambuco, Brazil.
Tropical Doctor
|December 15, 2015
Summary
Small for gestational age (SGA) newborns have shorter foot lengths compared to appropriate for gestational age (AGA) newborns. This finding may help identify SGA infants, who face higher health risks.
Area of Science:
- Neonatology
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Fetal Medicine
Background:
- Small for gestational age (SGA) newborns experience elevated neonatal morbidity and mortality.
- SGA infants are at increased risk for chronic diseases later in life.
- Identifying SGA newborns is crucial for timely intervention and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare foot length between SGA and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) newborns.
- To investigate if foot length differs in term and preterm SGA infants.
- To assess the potential of foot length as a marker for identifying SGA newborns.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 700 newborns.
- Categorization of newborns into SGA and AGA groups.
- Measurement and comparison of foot length in both groups, stratified by gestational age (term and preterm).
Main Results:
- Foot length was significantly shorter in SGA newborns compared to AGA newborns.
- This difference in foot length was observed in both term and preterm SGA infants.
- Foot length demonstrated a potential utility in distinguishing SGA from AGA infants.
Conclusions:
- Fetal growth restriction, a common cause of SGA, may adversely affect foot development.
- Reduced foot length in newborns could serve as a clinical indicator for identifying SGA infants.
- Further research can validate foot length as a reliable screening tool for SGA detection.
