Pediatrics & Neonatology
Volume 50, Issue 6 , Pages 287-290, December 2009

Assessment of Growth From Foot Length in Taiwanese Neonates

  • Tsyr-Yuh Ho

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Zuoying Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Shan-Fu Ou

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Zuoying Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Shih-Hui Huang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Nursing, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chi-Ning Lee

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Zuoying Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Luo-Ping Ger

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics and Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Kai-Sheng Hsieh

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics and Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Shih-Ming Huang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Municipal United Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Pediatrics Kaohsiung Municipal United Hospital, 976 Chunghwa 1st Road, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Ken-Pen Weng

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Zuoying Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Department of Nursing, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Department of Pediatrics and Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, 386 Ta-Chung 1st Road, Kaohsiung 813, Taiwan

Received 3 November 2008; received in revised form 20 January 2009; accepted 12 March 2009.

Background

Previous studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between foot length (FL) and birth body weight (BBW), birth body length (BBL), and head circumference (HC). However, there is no data on birth FL in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to evaluate FL measurement in Taiwanese neonates as a method of estimating other anthropometric indices.

Methods

In this retrospective study, we enrolled 256 babies born at our hospital and Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital from 2003-2005. Medical records were reviewed for sex, BBW, BBL, HC, gestational age, and birth FL. Ill newborns, small-for-gestational-age babies, or those with poor birth footprints were excluded. FL at birth was measured from the center of the back of the heel to the tip of the big toe. Linear regression analysis was used to investigate the relation of FL to BBW and BBL. The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to assess inter-rater reliability.

Results

A total of 256 babies were reviewed. There were 136 male and 120 female neonates. The gestational age was 38.5 ± 1.3 (mean ± standard deviation) weeks, ranging from 35-42 weeks. The BBW was 3137 ± 396 g. The BBL was 51.1 ± 2.1 cm. The HC was 33.5 ± 1.7 cm. The FL was 7.4 ± 0.46 cm. The regression equation for BBW (y) on FL (x) was as follows: y = 486.2 + 360.4x (p < 0.001, r = 0.421). The regression equation for BBL (y) on FL (x) was as follows: y = 40.1 + 1.45x (p < 0.001, r = 0.305). The regression equation for HC (y) on FL (x) was as follows: y = 14.8 + 2.53x (p < 0.001, r = 0.423). FL showed excellent reliability, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.965 (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated a significant degree of correlation between FL and BBW, BBL and HC. However, it did not reliably estimate BBW, BBL, or HC—the three anthropometric indices were weakly correlated (r < 0.5) with FL.

Key Words:  birth body length , birth body weight , foot length

No full text is available. To read the body of this article, please view the PDF online.

 

PII: S1875-9572(09)60079-6

doi:10.1016/S1875-9572(09)60079-6

Pediatrics & Neonatology
Volume 50, Issue 6 , Pages 287-290, December 2009

Article Tools