Values of somatic traits and of body proportion indices in male and female newborns of Lublin.

Abstract

Between December 1984 and May 1985, anthropometric measurements were applied to 455 full-term and healthy newborns (225 boys and 230 girls). The purpose of the investigation was to learn about somatic development and body proportions of Lublin newborns. It has been found that although the studied somatic traits show bigger differences between newborns of the same sex, rather than between newborns of the opposite sexes, sexual dimorphism of morphological traits apparently starts already at birth. Out of the analysed somatic traits and calculated body proportion indices, the following ones have significantly bigger values on boys: body mass and length, length of trunk with head and neck, length of trunk alone, hip width, shoulder width, width of distal femoral epiphysis, head length, width and circumference, and Quetelet index. In girls, in turn, thickness of three skin folds and shoulder-hip index are statistically more prominent. Mean values of somatic traits and body proportion indices may serve the purposes of regional standards for the evaluation of newborns in Lublin itself as well as in other towns of similar characteristics.