No abstract

Several morphometric measures have been used to identify infants at greatest risk from aberrant intrauterine growth. 119 near-term infants were studied to answer the more basic question of how well measures, such as birthweight percentile, ponderal index, the body mass index and the weight/length ratio reflect body fat in the neonate. Skinfold thicknesses were measured as an estimate of fat stores. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the weight/length ratio showed the strongest correlation with relative adiposity, explaining 52% of the variance. Further, sequential exponentiation of the crown-heel length in body mass index and ponderal index decreased the correlation with estimates of body fat. The simple weight/length ratio, exhibiting both a close correlation with body fat and independence of gestational age, race and sex, in near-term infants may be the best morphometric measure of the nutritional component of intrauterine growth in the neonate.

The earliest diagnosis and treatment of obstructed fetal bladder is reported. Placement of vesico-amniotic shunt at 14.5 weeks of gestation enabled preservation of bilateral renal function and maintenance of normal amniotic fluid volume with normal pulmonary development. The shunt functioned adequately for more than 12 weeks. At birth, a mild 'prune' belly was the only deformity noted.