Revisiting head circumference of Brazilian newborns in public and private maternity hospitals

ABSTRACT

Objective

To revisit the head circumference (HC) of newborns in public and private maternity hospitals; to correlate our findings with the gestational age, gender, and type of delivery; and build and validate graphs and curves.

Methods

This was a prospective study performed on healthy newborns. Differences in HC were analyzed as a function of gestational age, gender, the healthcare system and the type of delivery. Smoothed percentile curves were created using the least mean squares method.

Results

Of the included newborns, 697 were born in private maternity hospitals and 2,150 were born in public maternity hospitals. In all, 839 were born by vaginal delivery, and 1,311 were born by cesarean delivery. At 37 to 42 weeks of gestation, male newborns had a larger HC than females. Infants born in private maternity and those born by cesarean delivery had a larger HC.

Conclusion

An important result of the present study is that our analyses allowed us to generate curves and statistically-validated graphs that can be used in clinical neonatal practice.

RESUMO

Objetivo

Revisitar o perímetro cefálico (PC) de recém nascidos (RN) correlacionando com a idade gestacional (IG), gênero, tipo de parto (TP), sistema de saúde e construir e validar gráficos e curvas.

Métodos

Estudou-se prospectivamente RN sadios analisando-se as diferenças entre os PC segundo a IG, gênero, TP e sistema de saúde. As curvas suavizadas de percentis foram criadas pelo método LMS (least mean squares).

Resultados

692 nasceram em maternidades privadas, 2.150 em maternidade pública, 839 nasceram de parto vaginal e 1.311 parto cesáreo. O gênero masculino apresentou PC maior que o feminino nas IG de 37 a 42 semanas. Os RN de maternidades privadas tiveram PC maior que os de maternidade pública. Os nascidos de parto cesáreo tiveram PC maior que os de parto vaginal.

Conclusão

Importante consequência deste estudo foi que os resultados permitiram a criação de curvas e gráficos validados estatisticamente de aplicabilidade na prática clínica neonatal.

neonatal head circumference - gestational age - gender - public and private maternity - newborn

perímetro craniano neonatal - idade gestacional - gênero - maternidades pública e privadas - recém nascido

Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 29. Juni 2016

Angenommen: 14. März 2017

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
05. September 2023

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