This document discusses anthropometry, which is the measurement of the human individual. It describes various equipment used to measure weight, length, height, head circumference, chest circumference, mid-arm circumference, and skin fold thickness. It provides age-dependent and age-independent criteria and formulas to assess nutritional status based on these measurements. Key indicators of malnutrition are discussed such as weight-for-age, weight-for-height, mid-upper arm circumference, and skin fold thickness. Growth velocity charts are also presented.

1. ANTHROPOMETRY
Soumya Ranjan Parida
Basic B.Sc. Nursing 4th
year
Sum Nursing College

2. EQUIPMENTS
WEIGHING SCALE- DETECTO SCALE
ELECTRONIC SCALE
SPRING MACHINE
HEIGHTLENGTH - INFANTOMETER
STADOMETER
MEASURING TAPE
CALIPERS

3. Weight
Length and Height
Head Circumference
Chest Circumference
Mid arm Circumference
Skin Fold Thikness
Upper Segment/Lower Segment Ratio

4. AGE DEPENDENT MEASUREMENTS
Weight For Age
Height For Age
Head Circumference
Chest Circumference
Mid arm Circumference
Skin Fold Thickness

5. AGE INDEPENDENT MEASUREMENTS
Weight For Height
Normal - >90%
Mild PEM –80-90%
Mod PEM –70-80%-
Severe PEM –<70%
Rao and Singh Criteria(wt/ht2
)
Normal – 0.15 – 0.16
Dugdale”s Index (wt/ht1.6
)
Normal – 0.88 – 0.97
Quac Stick-(mac/ht)
Kanawati and Mclaren Index-(mac/hc)
Normal - >0.310
Mild PEM – 0.310-0.280
Mod PEM – 0.280-0.250
Severe PEM - < 0.250

6. Assessment
Weight:
most reliable criterion for assessment of health and nutritional
status of children. Weight is a measure of total body mass and is
sensitive to changes in body fluids, fat ,muscle mass, skeleton and
body organs.
GROWTH VELOCITY
0-4 months 1.0 kg/month (30g/day)
5-8 months 0.75 kg/month (20g/day)
9-12 months 0.50 kg/month (15g/day)
1-3 years 3.0 kg/yr
3-12 years 2.0 kg/yr
12-18 years 5.0-6.0 kg/yr (0.5 kg/month)

7. Formulas for Weight (Weight for
age)
The newborn loses weight in the first few days after birth due to loss of edema fluid and
regains birth weight by about the 10th day of life.
Weight increases by 25-30 grams/day from day 10 of life to 3 months age.
From 3 months – 1 year: Weight (Kgs) = 9 +( age months)/ 2
From 1 year – 6 years: Weight (Kgs) = 2 (age in years) + 8
From 6 years – 12 years: Weight (Kgs) = 7 (age in years) – 5 /2

8. BALANCE SCALE

9. Length and Height
Upto 2 years of age recumbent length is measured with the help
of an infantometer while in order children standing height is recorded
Height Velocity
At birth : 20 inches (50 cm)
Gain during 1st year : 10 inches (25 cm)
Gain during 2nd year : 5 inches (12.5 cm)
Gain during 3rd year : 3.4 inches (7.5 -10 cm)
Gain during 3-12 years : 2-3 inches/year (5.0 –7.5 cm)
Adolescence : 8 cm / year girls
10 cm / year boys
*Formula for Length or Height cm = (age in years x 6 + 77)

10. HEIGHT

12. Head Circumference
Growth velocity(4-3-2-1-1-1)
Till 3 months : 2 cm / month
3 months – 1 year : 2 cm / 3 months (1/3 of
initial velocity)
1- 3 years : 1 cm / 6 months (1/12 of
initial velocity)
3-5 years : 1 cm / year (1-24 of
initial velocity)
During first year there is 12 cm increase in head circumference,
while between 1-5 years age,only 5 cm gain occurs in head size.
Adult head size is achieved between 5 to 6 years.

13. Chest circumference
The chest circumference is lower than the head
circumference at birth. It equals the head
circumference by 9 months in western children &
by 1-2 years in Indian children & then crosses it.
In PEM, because of brain-sparing, the head
circumference is not as much affected as the chest
circumference & hence the cross-over may not
occur even after 3 years.

14. MID ARM CIRCUMFERENCE
AGE INDIPENDENT CRITERIA
AGE OF 1 – 5 Yr
MID POINT OF ACRIMIAN AND
OLECRANON PROCESS
NORMAL ->14.5-16 CM
MOD MALNUTRITION 12.5-13.5 CM
SEVERE MALNUTRITION <12.5 CM

15. SKIN FOLD THICKNESS
Biceps- The anterior surface of the biceps midway between the anterior auxiliary
fold and the antecubital fossa.
Triceps- A vertical fold on the posterior midline of the upper arm, over the triceps
muscle, halfway between the acrosion process, and olecranon process. The elbow
should be extended and the arm relaxed.
Subscapular- The fold is taken on the diagonal line coming from the vertebral
border to between 1 and 2 cm from the inferior angle of the scapulae.
Suprailiac- A diagonal fold above the crest of the ilium at the spot where an
imaginary line would come down from the anterior auxiliary line.
NORMAL – 1-6yr - >10 cm
Severe PEM - < 6 CM
HERPENDEN’S CALIPER