Antenatal Nutritional Assessment: The Value of Upper Arm Circumference

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Abstract
Nutritional indicators such as prepregnant weight or weight increase during pregnancy are often difficult to use in developing countries. The value of the mid-upper-arm circumference was therefore analyzed in a study of 833 Mozambican gravidae, mainly seen at community level. Arm circumference was associated with both the estimated prepregnancy weight (p < 0.0001) and the arm muscle circumference (p < 0.0001). Of the studied women, 4% had an arm circumference below 23 cm, and 69% of these women had an estimated prepregnant weight for height below 85 % of standard. An arm circumference below 25 cm was encountered in 24% of the studied group, and 11 out of these 24% were below 85% of estimated prepregnancy weight for height. In Mozambican gravidae a mid-upper-arm circumference below 25 cm is a warning of malnutrition and below 23 cm is a strong indicator of malnutrition.

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