Newborn Mid-Upper Arm Circumference Identifies Low-Birth Weight and Vulnerable Infants: A Secondary Analysis

Abstract

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) infants are at increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Identification of LBW may not occur in settings where access to reliable scales is limited. Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) may be an accessible, low-cost measure to identify LBW and vulnerable infants. Objectives: We explored the validity of newborn MUAC in identifying LBW and vulnerable newborns in rural Sierra Leone. Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of infant data from a randomized controlled clinical trial of supplementary food and anti-infective therapies compared with standard care for undernourished pregnant women. Data for singleton liveborn infants with birth measurement and 6-mo survival data were included in this analysis. The primary outcome was validity of MUAC in identifying low-birth weight (LBW) neonates. Secondary outcomes included validity of MUAC and head circumference (HC) in identifying weight-for-length z-score (WLZ)