A study on the relation of mid-arm circumference of newborn babies with gestational age

Abstract

There is a strong correlation of MAC with birth weight, gestational age and early neonatal mortality. A recent study has held MAC to be superior to birth weight. HC or length in discriminating between AGA and SGA babies. MAC has also shown promise as a valuable tool in identification of neonate at risk for metabolic derangements. Thus MAC could be useful parameter for assessing fetal growth. MAC was measured at a point halfway down the left arm etween tip of acromion and olecranon process to the nearest of 0.1 cm by a flexible non stretchable fiber glass tape. The mean mid arm circumference of the babies analyzed was 9.08 cm, with the standard deviation of 0.83 cm. It was found that mid arm circumference was correlated well with the gestational age. In the derived normogram based on mid arm circumference and gestational age it was observed that there is a linear relationship of the mid arm circumference with increasing gestational age.