Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026
Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Use of incremental weight charts with follow-up of high-risk infants
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Madison.
Insights
Incremental weight charts effectively track infant growth in high-risk clinics. These charts are superior to standard growth charts for monitoring weight changes over time, especially for infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia or very low birth weight.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Growth Monitoring
- Infant Follow-up
Background:
- High-risk infant follow-up clinics manage infants with complex health needs.
- Accurate growth monitoring is crucial for assessing infant health and development.
- Standard growth charts may not fully capture nuanced weight changes in vulnerable infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of incremental weight charts in managing infants in a high-risk follow-up clinic.
- To compare the effectiveness of incremental weight charts against standard growth charts.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective descriptive study design was employed.
- 135 infant charts were reviewed, with data from 42 charts analyzed.
- Commercially available weight velocity charts were utilized for analysis.
Main Results:
- Most infants exhibited normal weight velocities on incremental charts.
- Infants with a history of bronchopulmonary dysplasia showed a tendency towards weight velocities below the 5th percentile.
- Infants born with very low birth weight (<1000 gm) tended to have lower, though usually normal, weight velocity percentiles.
- Incremental weight charts graphically demonstrated changes in weight over time more effectively than standard charts.
Conclusions:
- Incremental weight charts offer a superior method for graphically demonstrating weight changes in high-risk infants.
- These charts aid in identifying subtle growth deviations, particularly in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia or very low birth weight.
- Weight velocity charts are a valuable tool for managing infants in specialized follow-up care.
Abstract:
A retrospective descriptive study was done to determine the potential usefulness of using incremental weight charts in the management of infants followed in a high-risk infant follow-up clinic. For this study, 135 charts were reviewed and 42 were subjected to data collection and analysis by using commercially available weight velocity charts. The incremental weight charts that were produced demonstrated that most of the infants studied had growth velocities well within the normal range; however, infants who had a history of bronchopulmonary dysplasia had a tendency to have weight velocities below the 5th percentile. Also observed was a correlation for infants born with a very low birth weight (< 1000 gm) to have somewhat lower, although usually normal, percentiles for later weight velocity. Analysis and comparison of these incremental charts with standard growth charts for these infants demonstrated that incremental weight charts appear to be superior to standard charts in graphically demonstrating changes in weight over time.
