Newborn's arm circumference as a screening tool of low birth weight in Temeke District, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Ramaiya, C.; Msamanga, G.; Massawe, S.; Mpanju, W.; Ngwalle, E.
Tropical and Geographical Medicine 46(5): 318-321
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-3232 PMID: 7855921 Document Number: 429569
In Tanzania, health workers compared the birth weight of 627 newborns delivered at Temeke District Hospital in Dar es Salaam during January-April 1992 with their mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) to determine whether the MUAC could be used as an indicator of low birth weight (LBW) (2500 g) among newborns. The birth weight ranged from 1000 to 4400 g. The MUAC ranged from 7.5 to 13 cm. Around 18.8% of the newborns were LBW. 11.8% had an MUAC less than 9.5 cm. The researchers determined that 9.5 cm is the cut-off point in MUAC and a significant predictor of LBW. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for an MUAC of 9.5 cm were 57.5%, 98.8%, 91.6%, and 90.9%, respectively. The correlation coefficient between MUAC and birth weight was 88% and significant and positive (p = 0.0001). There was an 82.4% difference in LBWs with an MUAC less than 9.5 cm compared with those with an MUAC equal to or greater than 9.5 cm (p = 0.0001). Newborns with an MUAC less than 9.5 cm were 10 times more likely to weigh less than 2500 g than those with an MUAC equal to or greater than 9.5 cm (p = 0.0001). Significant maternal risk factors related to LBW were maternal weight less than 43.5 kg (odds ratio [OR] = 2.9), age of 14-19 years (OR = 1.5), height less than 150 cm (OR = 1.3), positive malaria parasitemia (OR = 1.3), and previous history of LBW (OR = 1.5). These findings suggest that, under conditions where conventional scales are not available (e.g., at the primary health care level), an MUAC of 9.5 cm could be used to screen newborns for LBW.