Use of body mass index for assessing the growth status of infants
Raman, L.; Vasanthi, G.; Rao, K.V.; Parvathi, C.; Balakrishna, N.; Vasumathi, N.; Raval, A.; Adinarayana, K.
Indian Pediatrics 26(7): 630-635
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-6061 PMID: 2583823 Document Number: 331532
Growth status of infants measured by weight and height was assessed from birth to 12 months in a randomly selected community from the urban slums of Hyderabad City. Mean birth weight was 2.82 kg. Weight/height indicator of body mass index (BMI) showed a progressive increase till 4th month, followed by more or less a constant figure with a mean value of 1.50 in longitudinal, semi-longitudinal and cross sectional data till one year. Critical limit for BMI at birth for given weight of 2.5 kg was 1.20 and subsequently increased to 1.35. BMI was well correlated with weight and weight for height (%) and least correlated with height. Children with height of 90% or above and birth weight of above 2.5 kg were observed with better growth and better maintenance of weight for height (%) and BMI till 6 months.