An investigation of physical development of 5 027 neonates in Urumqi, China

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the physical development of Uygur and Han neonates in Urumqi, China.Methods Live singleton neonates with a gestational age of 28-42 weeks who were born in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University and Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital from December 2014 to May 2017 were enrolled, and their body weight, body length, head circumference, and chest circumference at birth were measured. The cubic curve fitting method was used to plot the smooth curves of body weight, body length, head circumference, and chest circumference.Results A total of 5 027 singleton neonates with a gestational age of 28-42 weeks were enrolled, with 2 625 boys and 2 402 girls. The average values of birth weight, body length, head circumference, and chest circumference, Quetelet index, and Ververck index of Uygur/Han boys and girls with a gestational age of 28-42 weeks were obtained, and related smoothed percentile curves were plotted. There were some differences between Uygur and Han neonates in the average values of some growth and development indices. The Quetelet index and the Ververck index of Uygur and Han neonates increased with the increase in gestational age, and the Uygur neonates had a higher Ververck index than the Han neonates.Conclusions There are differences in the levels of some growth and development indices and Ververck index between the Uygur and Han neonates in Urumqi. The average values of body weight, body length, chest circumference, and head circumference at birth, Quetelet index, and Ververck index of Uygur and Han neonates with a gestational age of 28-42 weeks and their smoothed percentile curves can provide a reference for the assessment of neonatal growth and development in Urumqi.