Identifying Low Birth Weight in Nepalese Newborns
Author Information
Author(s): Sreeramareddy Chandrashekhar T, Chuni Neena, Patil Rajkumar, Singh Dela, Shakya Brishna
Primary Institution: Manipal Teaching Hospital, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal
Hypothesis
Can anthropometric surrogates reliably identify low birth weight newborns in Nepal?
Conclusion
Head and chest circumferences are effective indicators for identifying low birth weight among Nepalese newborns.
Supporting Evidence
- 34 out of 400 newborns were identified as low birth weight.
- Head circumference had an AUC of 0.89, indicating high accuracy in identifying low birth weight.
- Chest circumference also showed strong predictive value with an AUC of 0.86.
Takeaway
This study found that measuring the head and chest sizes of newborns can help tell if they are underweight, which is important for their health.
Methodology
A cross-sectional study measuring head, chest, mid-upper arm, thigh, and calf circumferences of newborns within 24 hours of birth.
Potential Biases
Potential intra-observer bias in measurements due to reliance on a single investigator.
Limitations
The study only included full-term singleton births, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
51% males and 49% females, all full-term, singleton, live born babies.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.85 to 0.93 for head circumference
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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