Related Experiment Videos
Growth of term infants during neonatal period
S P Pandove1, K Singh, A S Sandhu
1Department of Pediatrics, Rajindra Hospital/Government Medical College, Patiala.
Insights
Healthy male newborns show greater growth in weight and body measurements than females during the first 28 days. This study tracked weight, occipitofrontal circumference (OFC), and length in term, appropriate-for-dates (AFD) infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal physiology
- Pediatric growth and development
Background:
- Infant growth parameters are critical indicators of health.
- Understanding sex-based differences in early development is essential for accurate clinical assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively analyze changes in key anthropometric measurements in healthy term, appropriate-for-dates (AFD) neonates from birth to 28 days.
- To identify and compare sex-specific growth patterns in weight, occipitofrontal circumference (OFC), chest circumference (CC), midarm circumference (MAC), thigh circumference (TC), and crown-heel length (CHL).
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 172 healthy term, AFD singleton neonates.
- Serial measurements of weight, OFC, CC, MAC, TC, and CHL were recorded from birth to 28 days of age.
Main Results:
- Male neonates exhibited significantly higher birth values for weight, OFC, CC, and CHL compared to females (p < 0.05).
- At 28 days, males maintained statistically significant higher values across all six measured parameters.
- While both sexes experienced initial weight loss, males showed greater weight gain by day 28. Males also demonstrated more substantial growth in OFC, CC, CHL, and MAC compared to females by 28 days.
Conclusions:
- Significant sex-based dimorphism exists in neonatal anthropometry and early growth trajectories.
- Male infants demonstrate a generally accelerated growth pattern in the first month of life compared to females across multiple physical parameters.
Abstract:
One hundred and seventy two healthy term (T) appropriate-for-dates (AFD) singleton neonates were prospectively studied from birth until 28 days of age for changes in weight, occipitofrontal circumference (OFC), chest circumference (CC), midarm circumference (MAC), thigh circumference (TC) and crownheel length (CHL). Male babies had statistically significant (p < 0.05) higher values than females for weight, OFC, CC and CHL at birth and for all the six parameters at 28 days. The mean loss of weight during the first 72 hours was 120 g and 140 g and the mean gain in weight at 28 days was 640 g and 520 g for males and females, respectively. After an initial decrease, OFC, CC and TC showed a mean growth of 1.9 cm and 1.9 cm, 1.4 cm and 1.1 cm and 0.9 cm and 0.7 cm in males and females, respectively by 28 days. By that age CHL showed a mean growth of 3.2 cm in males and 3.0 cm in females. Although both groups after an initial decrease in MAC, had started showing growth by 2nd week, female babies fell short by 0.1 cm of mean birth values by 28 days while males had a mean growth of 0.1 cm.