Measurement of newborn babies is widely regarded as being too inaccurate to justify its regular practice. It is common for infants to be weighed at birth and for no other measurements to be made. Although such assumptions are superficially correct, it is possible to train people to perform accurate measurements and for improved performance to be sustained. Accurate sequential measurements are possible and provide more information than single measurements. Detailed measurements show that postnatal growth may change rapidly and dramatically, particularly in preterm infants. Postnatal growth impairment is common in such infants and may be sustained. Limited evidence suggests that there may be a significant reduction in final stature. Preliminary data also suggest that many preterm infants may also show evidence of alterations in biochemical and physiological variables consistent with early programming and the potential for altered disease susceptibility in adult life.

Keywords:
Neonates, Prematurity, Postnatal growth, Growth retardation, Anthropometry, Programming
1.
Betts PR, Voss LD, Bailey BJR: Measuring the heights of very young children. Br Med J 1992;304:1351–1352.
2.
Cooney K, Pathak U, Watson A: Infant growth charts. Arch Dis Child 1994;71:159–160.
3.
Oakley JR, Parsons RJ, Whitelaw AGL: Standards of skinfold thickness in British newborn infants. Arch Dis Child 1977;52:287–290.
4.
Vaucher YE, Harrison GG, Udall JN, Morrow G: Skinfold thicknesses in North American infants 24–41 weeks’ gestation. Hum Biol 1984;56:713–731.
5.
Reichman BL, Chessex P, Putet G, Verellen GJ, Smith JM, Heim T, Swyer PR: Partition of energy metabolism and energy cost of growth in the very low-birth-weight infant. Pediatrics 1982;69:446–451.
6.
Poisonnet CM, Lavelle M, Burdi AR: Growth and development of adipose tissue. J Pediatr 1988;113:1–9.
7.
Sasanow SR, Georgieff MK, Pereira GR: Mid-arm and mid-arm/head circumference ratios: standard curves for anthropometric assessment of neonatal nutritional status. J Pediatr 1986;109:311–315.
8.
Georgieff MK, Armanuth UM, Sasanow SR, Ophoven JJ: Mid-arm circumference and mid-arm circumference ratio for assessing longitudinal growth in hospitalised preterm infants. J Am Coll Nutr 1989;8:477–483.
9.
Michaelsen KF, Skov L, Badsberg JH, Jørgensen M: Short term measurement of linear growth in pre-term infants: validation of a hand-held knemometer. Pediatr Res 1991;30:464–468.
10.
Gibson AT, Pearse RG, Wales JKH: Knemometry and the assessment of growth in premature babies. Arch Dis Child 1993;69:505–509.
11.
Munsick RA: Human fetal extremity lengths in the interval from 9 to 21 menstrual weeks of pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1984;149:883–887.
12.
Wales JKH, Carney S, Gibson AT: The measurement of neonates. Horm Res 1997;48 (suppl 1):2–10.
13.
Gibson AT, Pearse RG, Wales JKH: Growth retardation after dexamethasone administration: assessment by knemometry. Arch Dis Child 1993;69:505–509.
14.
Griffin IJ, Pang NM, Perring J, Cooke RJ: Knee-heel length measurement in healthy preterm infants. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 1999;81:F50–F55.
15.
Powls A, Botting N, Cooke RWI, Pilling D, Marlow N: Growth impairment in very low birthweight children at 12 years: correlation with perinatal and outcome variables. Arch Dis Child 1996;75:F152–F157.
16.
Barker DJP: Mothers, Babies and Disease in Later Life. London, BMJ Publishing Group, 1994.
17.
Lucas A, Fewtrell MS, Cole TJ: Fetal origins of adult disease – the hypothesis revisited. Br Med J 1999;319:245–249.
18.
Smith DW, Truog W, Rogers JE, Greitzer LJ, Skinner AL, McCann JJ, Harvey MAS: Shifting linear growth during infancy: illustration of genetic factors in growth from fetal life through infancy. J Pediatr 1976;89:225–230.
19.
Wright NP, Gibson AT, Carney S, Wales JKH: Does being born prematurely have a long term-programming effect on blood pressure and glucose tolerance? Pediatr Res 2001;49:57A.
© 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel
2004
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.