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A Weight Estimation Strategy for Preterm and Full-Term Infants

Susan M Abdel-Rahman1,2, Ian M Paul3, Paula Delmore4

  • 1Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, MO, USA.

Global Pediatric Health
|January 9, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Accurate infant weight estimation is crucial, especially in remote areas lacking scales. This study developed a simple, low-cost method using head and chest circumference to reliably estimate infant weight.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Anthropometry

Background:

  • Infant weight is a critical health indicator, but access to accurate weighing scales is limited in resource-constrained and remote settings.
  • Existing weight estimation methods often lack accuracy or practicality for community health workers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a simple, accessible infant weight estimation strategy.
  • To address the limitations of current methods in remote, resource-limited environments.

Main Methods:

  • Evaluated the relationship between anthropometric measures (circumferential and segmental) and infant weight and length.
  • Developed and validated a predictive model using data from 2097 US infants.
  • Selected head circumference and chest circumference based on correlation, reproducibility, and practical considerations.

Main Results:

  • Head and chest circumference showed strong correlations with infant weight (r=0.89) and length (r=0.94, 0.93).
  • The combined model predicted infant weight within 10% for 84% and 15% for 94% of infants.
  • The model demonstrated no bias related to postnatal age, gestational age, or sex.

Conclusions:

  • A simple summation model using head and chest circumference provides a reliable method for estimating infant weight.
  • This low-cost, paper-based strategy can significantly improve health monitoring in underserved areas.
  • The validated method offers a practical solution for healthcare providers lacking functional weighing scales.

Keywords:
abdomenchest circumferenceglobal healthpediatric

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