Maternal MUAC and fetal outcome in an Indian tertiary care hospital: A prospective observational study

Studies to date demonstrated the relatedness of mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement of pregnant women to their anthropometry/weight. Hence, the objective was to determine whether maternal MUAC at different gestational age predicted birthweight, and if so, to identify which cut-offs provided the best prediction of low birthweight (LBW) in pregnant women cohort. A total of 928 pregnant women, free of any obstetrical and medical complications known to affect fetal growth, were followed from 20 to 24 weeks' gestation till delivery. Weight, height, and MUAC were determined for the pregnant women, and gestational age along with newborns anthropometry was collected. The mean birthweight was 2.6 ± 0.460 kg. Maternal age, height, weight, MUAC (three time points), gestational age at delivery, and post-natal weight showed positive correlation with birthweight, crown heel length, and head circumference of the neonates. The cut-off limit with the best sensitivity-specificity (54.0 and 59.8, respectively) for MUAC was 23 cm, whereas maternal weight of 55 kg had sensitivity and specificity of 62.5 and 59.9 for predicting LBW. Maternal weight of 55 kg and MUAC value of 23 cm had almost similar sensitivity and specificity for predicting LBW. MUAC (≤23 cm) can be considered as a potential indicator of LBW where weighing of pregnant women is not feasible or when presentation for antenatal care is late, especially where pre-pregnancy weights are not available.