[Measurement of motor nerve conduction for precise maturity determination in low birth weight newborn infants]

Between 1.10.1979 and 31.1.1981, maturity estimation tests were conducted on 379 eutrophic and 78 hypotrophic neonates at the Department of Obstetrics in Berlin Neukölln by means of motor nerve conduction velocity (NCV) combined with the FARR system. In both eutrophic and hypotrophic infants the median of the nerve conduction velocity rises almost in a straight line from 16.5 m/sec in the 34th week of gestation to 25.7 m/sec in the 41st week. The significance calculation of the nerve conduction velocity of both groups showed no variation (p less than 0,01). On the other hand the maturity estimation made with the FARR system deviated strongly in a false positive direction up to the 38th week of gestation. The measurement of the motor nerve conduction velocity of the ulnar nerve has proved to be a simple and very precise estimation of the postpartum gestational age which makes it possible to distinguish with certainty between premature eutrophic infants and hypotrophic infants of low birthweight.