Growth of term infants during neonatal period.

One hundred and seventy two healthy term (T) appropriate-for-dates (AFD) singleton neonates were prospectively studied from birth until 28 days of age for changes in weight, occipitofrontal circumference (OFC), chest circumference (CC), midarm circumference (MAC), thigh circumference (TC) and crownheel length (CHL). Male babies had statistically significant (p < 0.05) higher values than females for weight, OFC, CC and CHL at birth and for all the six parameters at 28 days. The mean loss of weight during the first 72 hours was 120 g and 140 g and the mean gain in weight at 28 days was 640 g and 520 g for males and females, respectively. After an initial decrease, OFC, CC and TC showed a mean growth of 1.9 cm and 1.9 cm, 1.4 cm and 1.1 cm and 0.9 cm and 0.7 cm in males and females, respectively by 28 days. By that age CHL showed a mean growth of 3.2 cm in males and 3.0 cm in females. Although both groups after an initial decrease in MAC, had started showing growth by 2nd week, female babies fell short by 0.1 cm of mean birth values by 28 days while males had a mean growth of 0.1 cm.