Darmstadt GL, Kumar V, Shearer JC, Misra R, Mohanty S, Baqui AH, Coffey PS, Awasthi S, Singh JV, Santosham M. Validation of accuracy and community acceptance of the BIRTHweigh III scale for categorizing newborn weight in rural India.
J Perinatol 2007;
27:602-8. [PMID:
17717522 DOI:
10.1038/sj.jp.7211797]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To determine the accuracy and acceptability of a handheld scale prototype designed for nonliterate users to classify newborns into three weight categories (>or=2,500 g; 2,000 to 2,499 g; and <2,000 g).
STUDY DESIGN
Weights of 1,100 newborns in Uttar Pradesh, India, were measured on the test scale and validated against a gold standard. Mothers, family members and community health stakeholders were interviewed to assess the acceptability of the test scale.
RESULT
The test scale was highly sensitive and specific at classifying newborn weight (normal weight: 95.3 and 96.3%, respectively; low birth weight: 90.4 and 99.2%, respectively; very low birth weight: 91.7 and 98.4%, respectively). It was the overall agreement of the community that the test scale was more practical and easier to interpret than the gold standard.
CONCLUSION
The BIRTHweigh III scale accurately identifies low birth weight and very low birth weight newborns to target weight-specific interventions. The scale is extremely practical and useful for resource-poor settings, especially those with low levels of literacy.
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