[Gestational bone age of newborn infants]

Area of Science:

• Pediatric radiology
• Neonatal development
• Skeletal maturation assessment

Background:

• Accurate assessment of skeletal maturation in neonates is crucial for monitoring growth and development.
• Existing methods may lack precision for the early neonatal period.
• Understanding deviations from normal growth patterns is vital for clinical management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel method for bone age calculation in neonates.
• To establish normative data for skeletal growth and maturation in early infancy.
• To provide a tool for evaluating the effects of pathologies on neonatal development.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of radiographic images (thorax, mandible, right leg) from 126 neonates (28-41 weeks gestational age).
• Separate analysis of criteria for skeletal maturation and growth.
• Application of linear regression to establish growth and maturation parameters.

Main Results:

• Development of a bone age calculation method specifically for neonates.
• Design of confidence areas for growth and maturation relative to gestational age.
• Demonstration of the method's utility in assessing pathological impacts on development.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method offers a reliable approach to bone age assessment in neonates.
• Established confidence areas provide a reference for normal skeletal development.
• This tool facilitates the evaluation of disease impact on neonatal growth and maturation.