1 Department de Neonatologie, Hospital Universitaire Erasme, 808 Route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
2 Department de Radiologie Pediatrique, Hospital Universitaire Erasme, 808 Route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
To the Editor.
Measurement of liver size in the newborn frequently has been obtained only by palpation of the projection below the costal margin.1 It has been suggested2 that the measurement of the liver span obtained by percussion/palpation could be a more reliable estimation of the liver size. A study was designed to evaluate both methods.
A total of 317 newborns were examined: 287 were appropriate (in size) for gestational and 30 were small for gestational age, on the first and/or the fifth days of life.