The Relationship between hand and foot Length and Other Anthropometric Measurements in Neonates

ABSTRACT

The hand length, foot length, middle finger length as percentage of total hand length, palm length, height, birth weight head circumference of 143 neonates of gestational ages ranging from twen-five to fourty-two weeks were measured between 12 hours and 5 days of life in order to find out normal values and correation between them. The subjects were devided into three groups of term babies with weight appropriate for gestational age, of term babies with weight light for dates and of premature babies. The following results were obtained. 1. The means, standard deviations & percentile values of hand length, foot length, palm length, middle finger length, middle finger length as percentage of total hand length in term babies(n=110) were obtained(Table 3). The sexual difference was statistically insignificant(p<0.05) in all. 2. There was a positive linear correlation between foot and hand length and other indices of anthropometric measurements in all groups. In premature babies, the correlation between foot length hadd length(r=0.79), foot length and height(r=0.64) as well as foot length and birth weight(r=0.82) were excellent. The 95percent confidence limits of the regression lines were+/-0.66cm,+/-0.66cm, and+/-374g, respectively. The birth weight and height of premature babies can theoretically be estimated from a measurement of foot length which can be performed easily and rapidly. 3. A positive linear correlation(r=0.79) between foot length and gestational age exist and the foot length of 7.0cm serves as a reliable index of prematurity. Its diagnosi bility was 0.998, 0.612. 4. The normal values of hand length, foot length, palm length, middle finger length, middle finger length as percentage of total hand length, which were obtained in this study, will be helpful to diagnose as brachydactyly or arachnodactyly.