ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To study the application of ponderal index (PI), body mass index (BMI), mid-arm circumference/head circumference (MAC/HC), and Clinical Assessment of Nutritional Status (CANS) score in assessing the nutritional status of neonates at birth, and to find a simple and reliable scheme for the assessment of fetal nutritional status.@*METHODS@#PI, BMI, MAC/HC, and CANS were used to assess the nutritional status of full-term infants and preterm infants shortly after birth. The assessment results of these methods were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Among the 678 full-term infants, 61, 102, 47, and 131 were diagnosed with malnutrition by PI, BMI, MAC/HC, and CANS respectively. Among the 140 preterm infants, 30, 87, 9, and 112 were diagnosed with malnutrition by PI, BMI, MAC/HC, and CANS respectively. The combination of BMI and CANS had a detection rate of 99.3% in full-term infants and 100% in preterm infants. Compared with the single method, the combination significantly improved the detection rate of malnutrition (@*CONCLUSIONS@#The combination of BMI+CANS can reduce the rate of missed diagnosis of fetal malnutrition. It is therefore a simple and reliable method for the assessment of fetal malnutrition.