Abstract
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>ntroduction: </strong></span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In cases of infanticide, surreptitious disposals, still births and spontaneous or induced abortions, the accurate age of the infant needs to be calculated. Furthermore, in cases of sexual abuse, the court may need to know the period of gestation of the infant, to date the crime. However, for assessment of gestational age Sri Lankan anthropometric data is not available. Therefore this study helps to fill this void.</span></span></span></span> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Objective: </strong></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Establish the relationship between the gestational age and Weight, Occipito-Frontal Circumference (OFC), Hand length (HL), and Foot Length (FL) of neonates.</span></span></span></span> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Methodology: </strong></span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Following ethical clearance, data was collected at Teaching Hospital Peradeniya, from neonates of gestational ages ranging from 33 – 40 weeks, within 48 hours of birth by two pre-intern doctors. We excluded those suffering from anomalies which cause distortion of the anthropometric parameters. The weight recorded at birth was taken while a non-stretchable, standard tape was used to measure the OFC. HL and FL were measured with an electronic Vernier caliper. </span></span></span></span> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Results: </strong></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The total sample size of 108 babies consisted of 76 term babies and 32 pre term babies. The values ranged from 1300g to 3850g for weight, 25cm to 36.4cm for OFC, 34.4mm to 72.16mm for HL and 55mm to 87.7mm for FL. The detailed age specific data will be discussed, graphed and compared with available British and USA data. </span></span></span></span> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Conclusion and Suggestions: </strong></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The findings of this preliminary study indicate that the gestational age can be estimated using anthropometric measurements. We suggest the need to expand this study to other areas of Sri Lanka in order to prepare graphs of anthropometric measurements applicable to Sri Lanka. </span></span></span></span> <p style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">DOI:</span></span></span><span style="color: #0000ff;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/mljsl.v1i1.7265">http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/mljsl.v1i1.7265</a></span></span></span></span></span> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><em><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Medico-Legal Journal of Sri Lanka </span></span></span></span></em><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">2011; 1(1), Jan-April : 14-19</span></span></span></span>
Highlights
In cases of infanticide, surreptitious disposals, still births and spontaneous or induced abortions, the accurate age of the infant needs to be calculated
The values ranged from 1300g to 3850g for weight, 25cm to 36.4cm for Occipito-Frontal Circumference (OFC), 34.4mm to 72.16mm for Hand length (HL) and 55mm to 87.7mm for Foot Length (FL)
We suggest the need to expand this study to other areas of Sri Lanka in order to prepare graphs of anthropometric measurements applicable to Sri Lanka
Summary
Surreptitious disposals, still births and spontaneous or induced abortions, the accurate age of the infant needs to be calculated. Experts in the field of Forensic Medicine are often confronted with cases of infanticide, surreptitious disposals, still births and spontaneous or induced abortions, where they have to meet the challenge of determining the accurate age of the foetus/infant with the highest possible accuracy. It is of utmost importance as medical doctors, being expert witnesses to the courts of law, need to give an opinion regarding the viability of the infant. Determination of length and surface area with the use of foot length in sick pre term neonates, is more convenient as it can be done without disturbing them.[1]
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