Relationship between maternal characteristics and neonatal birth size in Egypt

This study in Egypt investigated the influence of selected maternal factors on neonatal birth size. Data were collected after delivery from 782 apparently healthy pregnant women and their neonates. A questionnaire on personal, medical, socioeconomic status, smoking habits and exposure to smoking was completed. Maternal weight and height, food frequency intake during pregnancy and haemoglobin levels were recorded for 594,234 and 246 of the mothers respectively. Neonatal birth weight, length and head circumferences were measured. A significant positive correlation between maternal anthropometric variables with neonatal birth dimensions was observed and the effect was more evident in girls than boys for BMI and head circumference. Statistically significant negative correlations were found between maternal haemoglobin levels and birth size. Birth size was strongly correlated with maternal consumption of micronutrient-rich food at all stages of gestation. Passive smoking significantly affected birth weight and BMI of girls more than boys

Head circumference reference data for Egyptian children and adolescents

Data from a cross-sectional study of 27 826 healthy children in Cairo, Egypt, were used to construct standard growth charts of head circumference and reference values of relative head circumference to length/height for each sex. The sample was collected during the Egyptian Growth Curve Project for children and adolescents in 2002. Values were obtained for each month cohort for children aged 1-24 months, then for each year cohort until age 18 years. The values were compared with those of other populations. The constructed growth standards are suitable for growth monitoring programmes throughout Egypt

Waist circumference and central fatness of Egyptian primary-school children

This cross-sectional study of 1283 healthy children [681 boys, 602 girls] aged 6-11 years tested the degree of correlation between waist circumference measurements and adiposity. The children were classified as normal, overweight or obese according to their body mass index [BMI]. For both sexes a highly positive correlation was found between waist circumference and BMI, percentage of body fat, subscapular and suprailiac skinfold thicknesses, and the sum of skinfold measures. Central overweight and obesity were indicators for central fatness for both overweight boys and girls and for obese girls except in age group 6.5 +/- 1 years. Waist circumference was a good indicator of central fatness [overweight and obesity] in children aged 8.5 +/- years and 10.5 +/- 1 years

Normal values and inter-relations of body length segments in Cairo infants

This study aimed: a] to provide reference data for crown-heel length, crown-subischial length, subischial leg length and knee-heel length; b] to describe some body proportions namely crown-subischial length/crown-heel length, subischia leg length/crown-heel length, crown-subischial length/subischial leg length and knee-heel length/crown-heel length: c] to study the sex difference of these measurements and ratios, d] and to analyze the correlation between crown-heel length and the other studied measurements in Egyptian infants. Data were collected cross-sectionally from a sample of 794 male [mean age: 8.97 years] and 810 female [mean age: 8.30 years] infants from the Greater Cairo area. Anthropometric measurements were performed according to formal descriptions using standard instruments. Age changes in the studied measurements and ratios during infancy are graphically presented for each sex, males were advanced over females in all the studied measurements and ratios with high significance of difference [P<0.000]. Significant association was observed between crown-heel length and the studied measurements in most of the studied age groups. A comparison is made with other studies especially with a previous Egyptian growth study [1980-1990]. The current study recorded higher values in comparison to tile previous one for both males and females. In males at age of 1 and 18 months the high significance of differences [P<0.000] was only noticed in crown-heel length which implies that the main change was in leg length