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Updated: Jul 22, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Estimation of Height Using Body Weight and Segmental Measurements in Children with Cerebral Palsy
Samuel Olufemi Akodu FMCPaed1, Tinuade Adetutu Ogunlesi Fmacp1, Abiodun Folashade Adekanmbi1
1Department of Paediatrics, Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Ogun, Nigeria.
Insights
Weight and thigh length are reliable proxy measurements for height in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). These findings aid in assessing growth and development in pediatric populations with CP.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Biometrics
- Neurology
Background:
- Accurate anthropometric measurements are crucial for monitoring growth and health in children.
- Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) often present challenges in obtaining direct height measurements.
- Proxy measurements can offer viable alternatives for assessing physical development in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify reliable proxy measurements for estimating height in Nigerian children diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP).
- To evaluate the correlation between various anthropometric parameters and actual height in children with CP.
- To determine the predictive accuracy of different measurements as height proxies.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted over 18 months.
- 31 Nigerian children aged 15 months to 17 years with CP participated.
- Measurements included height, weight, arm span, forearm length, mid-upper arm circumference, foot length, head circumference, hip circumference, leg length, and tibia length, analyzed using linear regression.
Main Results:
- Strong positive correlations were observed between height and other linear measurements.
- Weight and thigh length demonstrated high explanatory power for height variability with minimal estimation error.
- Weight showed a lower mean difference between observed and predicted height compared to thigh length, which tended to overestimate height.
Conclusions:
- Weight measurement is identified as a potentially preferred proxy for estimating height in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP).
- These findings can assist clinicians in more effectively monitoring the growth and nutritional status of children with CP.
- Further research may explore the utility of these proxies in diverse pediatric populations with motor impairments.
Objectives:
The current study aimed to determine the proxy measurements for height in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP).
Materials & Methods:
In a cross-sectional descriptive study, the length/height of Nigerian children with CP was studied over eighteen months using descriptive statistics. The study subjects comprised children aged 15 months to 17 years with CP. Height/length, weight, arm span, forearm length, mid-upper arm circumference, foot length, head circumference, hip circumference, leg length, and tibia length were measured to the nearest 0.1 cm using standard procedures. The relations between segmental measurements and weight with height were investigated using linear regression.
Results:
A total of 31 children were studied. The correlation between height/length and other linear measurements has a significantly strong positive relationship. Regression analysis showed that when used singly, the weight and thigh length offered a high explanation for the height variability with little estimation error. On the other hand, weight had a lower mean difference between observed and predicted height (0.21 and -0.76, respectively), with thigh length overestimating the height.
Conclusion:
Weight measurement may be the preferred proxy for height in children with CP.
