Utility of Body Habitus Parameters to Determine and Improve the Accuracy of the Broselow Tape.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine and improve accuracy of the Broselow Tape (BT) in estimating children's weight by adding body habitus parameters.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban hospital pediatric clinic. Children up to 8 years old coming in for well-child visit were included. Children with acute illness or presence of any chronic condition potentially resulting in growth disturbance and out of BT height range were excluded. The following body habitus parameters were measured using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines: actual weight, predicted weight using BT (BTW), mid-thigh circumference (MTC), body mass index, mid-arm circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio.

Results: A total of 301 children were enrolled. Of these, 151 were male (50%). Hispanics constituted 160 (53.2%). There was a positive linear association between BTW and actual weight in the overall cohort (adjusted R2 = 0.9164, P < 0.001). However, there was a difference in this association among children younger than 2 years and children older than 2 years (adjusted R2 = 0.89 vs 0.4841). Incorporating MTC and/or waist circumference along with BTW in the model increased the accuracy, providing a better estimate of actual weight (adjusted R2 = 0.94, P < 0.001).

Conclusions: We conclude that there might be inaccuracies in the weight predicted by BT in our patient population, especially those weighing more than 15 kg and older than 2 years. Our study also demonstrates that MTC correlates closely with the actual weight and could be used in addition to BT for more accurate weight estimation.