Fantoms
- Martin Ward Platt, Deputy Editor
SIZE AND GROWTH
In the May edition we carried an important paper, and a perspective, calling into question the validity of birth weight centiles
because they are becoming less and less representative of fetal growth. Since birth weight in relation to gestation, and the
subsequent growth of the premature infant, lie right at the core of neonatal care, it is ironic that the tools for defining
these essential parameters should themselves be a matter for such controversy and debate. In this edition Figueras et al have taken a different approach to correcting for the inadequacies of birth weight for gestation by customising birth weight
standards to identify infants at particular risk. Obstetricians have been keen on this approach for some time, but I suspect
that fetal growth standards may prove the better reference in the long term.
See page 277
MILK – AGAIN
Again in the May edition, milk banks were the subject of a paper and a perspective. This month, Jones and …
