Validity of parent-reported weight and length of infants

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Biostatistics

Background:

• Accurate anthropometric data are crucial for monitoring infant health and development.
• Assessing the validity and reliability of parent-reported measurements is essential for large-scale health studies.
• Parental reporting of infant anthropometrics is increasingly used in research and clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of parent-reported infant weight and length compared to clinical measurements.
• To determine the reliability of parent-reported data for classifying infants by BMI z-score.
• To assess the utility of parent-reported anthropometrics in routine infant healthcare.

Main Methods:

• A cohort study involving 4,262 infants was conducted.
• Parent-reported and clinically measured anthropometric data (weight, length) were collected at three months and one year of age.
• Statistical comparisons, including mean differences and Bland-Altman plots, were used to assess agreement. BMI z-score categorization agreement was also analyzed.

Main Results:

• Parent-reported and clinically measured infant weight and length showed good correlation, with small mean differences at both time points.
• While bias was clinically insignificant, the 95% limits of agreement for anthropometric measures were wide.
• Agreement in BMI z-score categorization based on parent-reported data was only fair, indicating potential misclassification.

Conclusions:

• Parent-reported infant weight and length are reliable for population-level analyses in routine care settings.
• Parent-reported anthropometric data should not be used for individual infant assessments, especially when health conditions are suspected.
• BMI calculated from parent-reported infant anthropometrics is not a reliable measure for individual clinical decisions.