A comparative study of calf circumference and chest circumference as a measure of low birth weight in neonates

Abstract

Introduction-Birth weight is the single most important indicator of survival, growth and overall development of the child. New-borns with less than 2.5 kg birth weight are termed as low birth weight (LBW). Approximately 28% babies in India are LBW. LBW is associated with high neonatal morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis of LBW and apt intervention can lead to favourable outcome. 70-80% of births take place either at home or at peripheral hospitals. Measuring birth weight is difficult in India due to resource limited set up. There is a need of alternative methods to detect LBW which should be simple, handy, quick and cost effective. Hence, we decided to do study of correlation of calf muscle circumference and chest circumference with birth weight to determine LBW in new-borns.