Nutritional status of newborns with microcephaly

Abstract

Introduction: Microcephaly is a pathological condition in which the brain compartments do not develop properly, and may be caused by genetic, viral, environmental and nutritional factors. The present study covers a sample of newborns affected by Microcephaly, whose etiological factor was the Zí­ca Virus. Objective: To describe the profile of the sample studied by gender, gestational age, type of delivery, cephalic perimeter, and to investigate the nutritional status of the newborn through anthropometric variables. Methods: This was a descriptive, retrospective, quantitative study with the use of anthropometric parameters to investigate the nutritional profile of 35 newborns at the Integrated Rehabilitation Center in Teresina PI, Brazil. Results and Discussion: Regarding their characteristics, the gender with the highest prevalence was female, with 65.7%, with 82.9% being born at term between 37-41 weeks of gestational age with a mean of 38.3 weeks (IC95 % 37.6-39.0), 62.9% of whom were born Caesarian. According to the measurement of the anthropometric data of the newborn, we found the mean of 30.0 cm for the Cephalic Perimeter (IC95% 29.0-30.9), while the length at birth obtained a mean of 45.2 cm 95% CI 44.0-46.4), and birth weight with a mean of 2616.6 g (95% CI 2426.0-2807.20). The anthropometric indexes that showed the highest proportions were: Weight-for-height, indicating that 57.2% of the newborns were at risk of overweight. And the body mass index for age was 62.9%, indicating a risk of overweight. Conclusion: The literature reports that the reduced cerebral compartment results in the decrease of the total body weight due to the involution of the brain. However, it was observed that the newborns presented risk of overweight, which worries and differs from the literature.