Maternal Mid–Upper Arm Circumference Is Associated with Birth Weight among HIV-Infected Malawians

Citation

Ramlal, Roshan T.; Tembo, Martin; Soko, Alice; Chigwenembe, Maggie; Ellington, Sascha R.; Kayira, Dumbani; King, Caroline C.; Chasela, Charles S.; Jamieson, Denise J.; & van der Horst, Charles M., et al. (2012). Maternal Mid–Upper Arm Circumference Is Associated with Birth Weight among HIV-Infected Malawians. Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 27(3), 416-421. PMCID: PMC3753683

Abstract

The authors examined the relationship of maternal anthropometry to fetal growth and birth weight among 1005 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected women in Lilongwe, Malawi, who consented to enrollment in the Breastfeeding, Antiretrovirals, and Nutrition Study (www.thebanstudy.org). Anthropometric assessments of mid–upper arm circumference (MUAC), arm muscle area (AMA), and arm fat area (AFA) were collected at the baseline visit between 12 and 30 weeks’ gestation and in up to 4 follow-up prenatal visits. In longitudinal analysis, fundal height increased monotonically at an estimated rate of 0.92 cm/wk and was positively and negatively associated with AMA and AFA, respectively. These latter relationships varied over weeks of follow-up. Baseline MUAC, AMA, and AFA were positively associated with birth weight (MUAC: 31.84 g/cm2, 95% confidence interval [CI], 22.18-41.49 [P < .01]; AMA: 6.88 g/cm2, 95% CI, 2.51-11.26 [P < .01]; AFA: 6.97 g/cm2, 95% CI, 3.53-10.41 [P < .01]). In addition, MUAC and AMA were both associated with decreased odds for low birth weight (LBW; <2500 g) (MUAC: odds ratio [OR] = 0.85, 95% CI, 0.77-0.94 [P < .01]; AMA: OR = 0.95, 95% CI, 0.91-0.99 [P < .05]). These findings support the use of MUAC as an efficient, cost-effective screening tool for LBW in HIV-infected women, as in HIV-uninfected women.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0884533611435991

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2012

Journal Title

Nutrition in Clinical Practice

Author(s)

Ramlal, Roshan T.
Tembo, Martin
Soko, Alice
Chigwenembe, Maggie
Ellington, Sascha R.
Kayira, Dumbani
King, Caroline C.
Chasela, Charles S.
Jamieson, Denise J.
van der Horst, Charles M.
Bentley, Margaret E.
Adair, Linda S.,
for the BAN Study Team

PMCID

PMC3753683

ORCiD

Adair - 0000-0002-3670-8073
Bentley - 0000-0002-1220-0208