Study of foot length as an alternate measurement for assessment of gestational maturity in neonates

Tenali, Ananya S. L.; Tenali, Ravi Kumar

doi:10.18203/2349-3291.ijcp20190684

Cited by 9 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Some used LMP (18), some used ultrasound examination (20), some used clinical examination (19), and some used the Ballard score for assessing GA. (16) Similarly, foot length was measured using different measuring equipment. The most commonly used equipment was a Vernier caliper (16,17,19,20), followed by transparent rigid scales and steel or exible tapes. (10,18,21) The unit of measurement was also different across studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Relationship Between Foot Length And Gestational Age In Pakistan

Tikmani¹,

Roujani²,

Azam³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Abstract Background: Neonatal mortality in preterm live births is high. Therefore, knowledge of the gestational age (GA) at birth is crucial for the management and predicting prognosis of a newborn. Common methods for estimating GA such as the last menstrual period, ultrasonography, and post-natal Ballard scoring have some limitations. This study aimed to determine the relationship between foot length and GA and to develop a regression equation for predicting GA of the neonates born in Pakistan. Methods: Data for this analysis were extracted from the hospital files of eligible women by trained study midwives. Midwives were also trained in performing the Ballard examination and taking foot length using a disposable measuring tape within an hour of the birth. The measurement was taken from the mid-point of the heel to the end of the longest toe. The GA was calculated using an android-based GA calculator, which used a report of last menstrual period, ultrasound examination, and Ballard examination. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 19. Scatter plots were constructed to assess the linearity and co-efficient of determination and the correlation was calculated. Simple and Multiple Linear regression was used to construct predicting equations for GA.Results: Both foot length and GA were available for 1542 cases and were analyzed. The median GA was 34.5 weeks with an interquartile range (IQR 4.7) and the median foot length was 7 cm (IQR 1.4). There was a positive linear relationship between foot length and GA (r2 81.7%, p-value <0.001). Stratified analysis showed an r2 of 81.7% for males and 81.6% for females. The r2 for stillbirths was 84.1% and, 82.3% for live births. The r2 for macerated stillbirths was 88.6% and 90.6% for fresh stillbirths. Conclusion: In resource poor settings, the use of foot length can estimate GA in both live births and stillbirths and can easily identify preterm infants to initiate early management.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(10,18,21) The unit of measurement was also different across studies. Some used centimeters (16)(17)(18) and some millimeters. (19-21) However, almost all studies measured foot length from the mid-point of thê heel to the longest toe.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship Between Foot Length And Gestational Age In Pakistan

Tikmani¹,

Roujani²,

Azam³

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For validation, the foot length of Pakistani neonates for estimating GA was assessed using regression equations reported by different studies (16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21). The mean difference between observed and predicted GA was compared using a paired t-test.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Streeter et al in 1920, rst observed that the foot length co be used as a proxy for estimation of GA. 15Many studies since then have shown a positive linear relationship between GA and foot length. (16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21) However, the coe cient of determination (r 2 ) of foot length and GA is different in different studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Relationship Between Foot Length and Gestational Age in Pakistan

Tikmani¹,

Roujani²,

Azam³

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Preterm births have a high risk of mortality. Therefore, knowledge of the gestational age (GA) at birth is crucial to guide the appropriate management of a newborn. Common methods for estimating GA such as the last menstrual period, ultrasonography, and post-natal Ballard scoring have some limitations and are often unavailable in low-resource areas. This study aimed to determine the relationship between foot length and GA in order to develop an equation for predicting GA of the neonates born in Pakistan, a region with high rates of preterm birth and newborn mortality.Methods: We conducted a prospective study in a large obstetric hospital in Pakistan. Data for this analysis were extracted from the hospital files of eligible women by trained study midwives. Midwives were also trained in performing the Ballard examination and taking foot length using a disposable measuring tape within an hour of the birth. The GA was calculated using an android-based GA calculator, which used a report of last menstrual period, ultrasound examination, and Ballard examination. Simple and multiple linear regression were used to construct predicting equations for GA.Results: Both the foot length and GA were available for 1,542 cases. The median GA was 34.5 weeks with an interquartile range (IQR 4.7) and the median foot length was 7 cm (IQR 1.4). There was a positive linear relationship between foot length and GA (r2 81.7%, p-value < 0.001). Stratified analysis showed an r2 of 81.7% for males and 81.6% for females. The r2 for stillbirths was 84.1% and, 82.3% for live births. The r2 for macerated stillbirths was 88.6% and 90.6% for fresh stillbirths.Conclusion: In resource poor settings, the use of foot length can estimate GA in both live births and stillbirths and can easily identify preterm infants. This tool could facilitate early management of preterm births in low-resource settings.

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Relationship Between Foot Length and Gestational Age in Pakistan

Tikmani

Roujani

Azam

et al. 2020

Global Pediatric Health

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Preterm births have a high risk of mortality. Therefore, knowledge of the gestational age (GA) at birth is crucial to guide the appropriate management of a newborn. Common methods for estimating GA such as the last menstrual period, ultrasonography, and post-natal Ballard scoring have some limitations. This study aimed to determine the relationship between foot length and GA to develop and validate an equation for predicting GA of Pakistani newborns. We conducted a prospective study in a large obstetric hospital in Pakistan. Data for this analysis were extracted from the hospital files of eligible women by trained study midwives. Midwives were also trained in performing the Ballard examination and taking foot length using a disposable measuring tape within an hour of the birth. The GA was calculated using an android-based GA calculator. Simple and multiple linear regression were used to construct predicting equations for GA. Both the foot length and GA were available for 1542 cases. The median GA was 34.5 (IQR 4.7) weeks and the median foot length was 7 cm (IQR 1.4). There was a positive linear relationship between foot length and GA ( r2 81.7%, P-value < .001). Stratified analysis showed an r2 of 81.7% for males and 81.6% for females. The r2 for stillbirths was 84.1% and, 82.3% for live births. The r2 for macerated stillbirths was 88.6% and 90.6% for fresh stillbirths. In resource poor settings, the use of foot length can estimate GA in both live births and stillbirths and can easily identify preterm infants.

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Study of foot length as an alternate measurement for assessment of gestational maturity in neonates

Cited by 9 publications

References 4 publications

Relationship Between Foot Length And Gestational Age In Pakistan

Relationship Between Foot Length And Gestational Age In Pakistan

Relationship Between Foot Length and Gestational Age in Pakistan

Relationship Between Foot Length and Gestational Age in Pakistan

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