Individualized birth length and head circumference percentile charts based on maternal body weight and height
-
Manfred Voigt
Abstract
Objectives
Measurement of birth length and birth head circumference is part of the newborn assessment. Both measurements aid in distinguishing between proportionate and disproportionate small and large for gestational age newborns. It had been shown that birth weight is related to maternal height and weight. This study aims to analyze birth length and birth head circumference percentiles based on maternal stature.
Methods
This observational study analyzed birth length and birth head circumference percentiles of 2.3 million newborns stratified by maternal height and weight from the first obstetric assessment. Percentiles were calculated for sex and 22–43 gestational weeks for all infants. Eighteen subgroups based on six maternal height and three weight strata were defined and percentiles calculated from 32 to 42 gestational weeks using GAMLSS package for R.
Results
Newborns of mothers with height <158 cm and weight <53 kg (short stature) had a rate of preterm birth of 9%, compared to 5% in the tall stature group (height >177 cm, weight >79 kg). Small stature mothers were 1.7 years younger. Birth length differed by several centimeters for the same percentiles between groups of short and tall stature mothers, whereas birth head circumference differed up to 1.2 cm. The largest deviation of birth length was between the 97th percentiles. For male newborns born at term, birth length at the 97th percentile differed by 3.2 cm, at the 50th percentile by 2.7 cm and at the third percentile by 2.5 cm.
Conclusions
Birth length and birth head circumference are related to maternal height and weight. To more completely assess newborns, the maternal size should be considered.
Research funding: None declared.
Author contributions: MV: Data curation, conceptualization and study design, interpretation of the data; LMMK: Drafted parts of the manuscript and drew Figure 2; ELC: Interpretation of the data, drafted parts of the manuscript; HYS: Statistical analysis; NR: Conceptualization and study design, statistical analysis, interpretation of the data, and wrote the manuscript; All co-authors reviewed the manuscript. All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
Ethical approval: The study was approved by the research ethics board of the University of Rostock (#A 2019–0108).
Data sharing: Detailed percentiles values for all maternal weight and height groups could be requested from www.growthcalcualtor.org [30].
References
1. Fenton, TR, Kim, JH. A systematic review and meta-analysis to revise the Fenton growth chart for preterm infants. BMC Pediatrics 2013;13:59. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2431-13-59.Search in Google Scholar
2. Voigt, M, Rochow, N, Schneider, KT, Hagenah, HP, Scholz, R, Hesse, V, et al. New percentile values for the anthropometric dimensions of singleton neonates: analysis of perinatal survey data of 2007-2011 from all 16 states of Germany. Z Geburtshilfe Neonatol 2014;218:210–7. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0034-1368697.Search in Google Scholar
3. Battaglia, FC, Lubchenco, LO. A practical classification of newborn infants by weight and gestational age. J Pediatr 1967;71:159–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3476(67)80066-0.Search in Google Scholar
4. Saenger, P, Czernichow, P, Hughes, I, Reiter, EO. Small for gestational age: short stature and beyond. Endocr Rev 2007;28:219–51. https://doi.org/10.1210/er.2006-0039.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
5. Zeve, D, Regelmann, MO, Holzman, IR, Rapaport, R. Small at Birth, but How Small? The Definition of SGA Revisited. Horm Res Paediatr 2016;86:357–60. https://doi.org/10.1159/000449275.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
6. Allen, WR, Wilsher, S, Stewart, F, Stewart, F, Ousey, J, Ousey, J, et al. The influence of maternal size on placental, fetal and postnatal growth in the horse. II. Endocrinology of pregnancy. J Endocrinol 2002;172:237–46. https://doi.org/10.1677/joe.0.1720237.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
7. Allen, WR, Wilsher, S, Tiplady, C, Butterfield, RM. The influence of maternal size on pre- and postnatal growth in the horse: III Postnatal growth. Reproduction 2004;127:67–77. https://doi.org/10.1530/rep.1.00024.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
8. Allen, WR, Wilsher, S, Turnbull, C, Stewart, F, Ousey, J, Rossdale, PD, et al. Influence of maternal size on placental, fetal and postnatal growth in the horse. I. Development in utero. Reproduction 2002;123:445–53. https://doi.org/10.1530/rep.0.1230445.Search in Google Scholar
9. Ay, L, Kruithof, CJ, Bakker, R, Steegers, EA, Witteman, JC, Moll, HA, et al. Maternal anthropometrics are associated with fetal size in different periods of pregnancy and at birth. The Generation R Study. BJOG 2009;116:953–63. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2009.02143.x.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
10. Rochow, N, AlSamnan, M, So, HY, Olbertz, D, Pelc, A, Dabritz, J, et al. Maternal body height is a stronger predictor of birth weight than ethnicity: analysis of birth weight percentile charts. J Perinat Med 2018;47:22–9. https://doi.org/10.1515/jpm-2017-0349.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
11. Rochow, N, Voigt, M, Olbertz, DM, Straube, S. Birth weight percentiles: an international comparison. In: Zabransky, S, editor. Caring for Children Born Small for Gestational Age. London: Springer Healthcare; 2013. 45–53.10.1007/978-1-908517-90-6_5Search in Google Scholar
12. Voigt, M, Rochow, N, Jahrig, K, Straube, S, Hufnagel, S, Jorch, G. Dependence of neonatal small and large for gestational age rates on maternal height and weight--an analysis of the German Perinatal Survey. J Perinat Med 2010;38:425–30. https://doi.org/10.1515/jpm.2010.059.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
13. Gardosi, J, Francis, A, Turner, S, Williams, M. Customized growth charts: rationale, validation and clinical benefits. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2018;218:S609–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2017.12.011.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
14. Tarca, AL, Romero, R, Gudicha, DW, Erez, O, Hernandez-Andrade, E, Yeo, L, et al. A new customized fetal growth standard for African American women: the PRB/NICHD Detroit study. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2018;218:S679–91.e4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2017.12.229.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
15. Romero, R, Tarca, AL. Fetal size standards to diagnose a small- or a large-for-gestational-age fetus. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2018;218:S605–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2017.12.217.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
16. Rigby, RA, Stasinopoulos, DM. Generalized additive models for location, scale and shape. J Royal Stat Soc: Series C (Appl Stat) 2005;54:507–54. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9876.2011.01033.x.Search in Google Scholar
17. R Development Core Team. A language and enviroment for statistical computing. v3.6.2 (2019-12-12) ed. Vienna, Austria: R Foundation for Statistical Computing; 2019.Search in Google Scholar
18. Ghi, T, Cariello, L, Rizzo, L, Ferrazzi, E, Periti, E, Prefumo, F, et al. Customized Fetal Growth Charts for Parents’ Characteristics, Race, and Parity by Quantile Regression Analysis: A Cross-sectional Multicenter Italian Study. J Ultrasound Med 2016;35:83–92. https://doi.org/10.7863/ultra.15.03003.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
19. Dunger, DB, Petry, CJ, Ong, KK. Genetics of size at birth. Diabetes Care 2007;30:S150–5. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444317619.ch5.Search in Google Scholar
20. Thame, M, Osmond, C, Trotman, H. Fetal growth and birth size is associated with maternal anthropometry and body composition. Matern Child Nutr 2015;11:574–82. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12027.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
21. Rochow, N, Landau-Crangle, E, Thommandram, A, Fusch, C. Individualized Postnatal Growth Trajectory for Preterm Infants - Online Calculator. http://www.growthcalculator.org/.2016 [Accessed 09 May 2019].Search in Google Scholar
22. Liu, P, Xu, L, Wang, Y, Zhang, Y, Du, Y, Sun, Y, et al. Association between perinatal outcomes and maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index. Obes Rev 2016;17:1091–102. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12455.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
23. Myklestad, K, Vatten, LJ, Magnussen, EB, Salvesen, KA, Romundstad, PR. Do parental heights influence pregnancy length?: A population-based prospective study, HUNT 2. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2013;13:33. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-13-33.Search in Google Scholar
24. Brooks, AA, Johnson, MR, Steer, PJ, Pawson, ME, Abdalla, HI. Birth weight: nature or nurture? Early Hum Dev 1995;42:29–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-3782(95)01637-i.Search in Google Scholar
25. Bartram, JL, Rigby, AS, Baxter, PS. The “Lasso-o” tape: stretchability and observer variability in head circumference measurement. Arch Dis Child 2005;90:820–1. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2004.063743.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
26. Conkle, J, Suchdev, PS, Alexander, E, Flores-Ayala, R, Ramakrishnan, U, Martorell, R. Accuracy and reliability of a low-cost, handheld 3D imaging system for child anthropometry. PLoS One 2018;13:e0205320. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0205320.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
27. Corkins, MR, Lewis, P, Cruse, W, Gupta, S, Fitzgerald, J. Accuracy of infant admission lengths. Pediatrics 2002;109:1108–11. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.109.6.1108.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
28. Pomeroy, E, Wells, JC, Cole, TJ, O’Callaghan, M, Stock, JT. Relationships of maternal and paternal anthropometry with neonatal body size, proportions and adiposity in an Australian cohort. Am J Phys Anthropol 2015;156:625–36. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.22680.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
29. Rochow, N, Landau-Crangle, E, So, HY, Pelc, A, Fusch, G, Dabritz, J, et al. Z-score differences based on cross-sectional growth charts do not reflect the growth rate of very low birth weight infants. PLoS One 2019;14:e0216048. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216048.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
30. Rochow, N, Landau-Crangle, E, Thommandram, A, Fusch, C. Individualized Postnatal Growth Trajectory for Preterm Infants - Online Calculator. http://www.growthcalculator.org/. Published 2020 [Accessed30 Mar 2020].Search in Google Scholar
Supplementary material
This article contains supplementary material https://doi.org/10.1515/jpm-2020-0085.
© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review
- Perinatal outcomes in vanishing twin pregnancies following assisted reproductive technology (ART) – a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Mini Review
- Cervical insufficiency: a noteworthy disease with controversies
- Original Articles – Obstetrics
- Individualized birth length and head circumference percentile charts based on maternal body weight and height
- Cellular immune responses in amniotic fluid of women with a sonographic short cervix
- Comparison of buprenorphine and methadone in the management of maternal opioid use disorder in full term pregnancies
- Influence of newborn head circumference and birth weight on the delivery mode of primipara: what is more important?
- Estimated fetal weight and severe neonatal outcomes in preterm prelabor rupture of membranes
- Which technique is better to place a manoeuvrable vacuum extractor cup on the flexion point? Vacca vs. Bird technique
- Pregnancy-specific transcriptional changes upon endotoxin exposure in mice
- Effects of nifedipine on fetal cardiac function in preterm labor
- Violence against trainees: urgent ethical challenges for medical educators and academic leaders in perinatal medicine
- Original Articles – Newborns
- Comparison of image quality in brain MRI with and without MR compatible incubator and predictive value of brain MRI at expected delivery date in preterm babies
- Survey on clinical use and non-use of recombinant human erythropoietin in European neonatal units
- An alternative approach to developing guidelines for the management of an anticipated extremely preterm infant
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review
- Perinatal outcomes in vanishing twin pregnancies following assisted reproductive technology (ART) – a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Mini Review
- Cervical insufficiency: a noteworthy disease with controversies
- Original Articles – Obstetrics
- Individualized birth length and head circumference percentile charts based on maternal body weight and height
- Cellular immune responses in amniotic fluid of women with a sonographic short cervix
- Comparison of buprenorphine and methadone in the management of maternal opioid use disorder in full term pregnancies
- Influence of newborn head circumference and birth weight on the delivery mode of primipara: what is more important?
- Estimated fetal weight and severe neonatal outcomes in preterm prelabor rupture of membranes
- Which technique is better to place a manoeuvrable vacuum extractor cup on the flexion point? Vacca vs. Bird technique
- Pregnancy-specific transcriptional changes upon endotoxin exposure in mice
- Effects of nifedipine on fetal cardiac function in preterm labor
- Violence against trainees: urgent ethical challenges for medical educators and academic leaders in perinatal medicine
- Original Articles – Newborns
- Comparison of image quality in brain MRI with and without MR compatible incubator and predictive value of brain MRI at expected delivery date in preterm babies
- Survey on clinical use and non-use of recombinant human erythropoietin in European neonatal units
- An alternative approach to developing guidelines for the management of an anticipated extremely preterm infant
