The term somatometry comes from the Greek and refers to the combination of two words: “sum” which means body and “metry” which is equivalent to meter.
It is a discipline that is part of medicine, through which appropriate body measurements are established to facilitate the professionals’ diagnosis. On certain occasions, the synonym of anthropometry is used.
In the field of pediatrics
During the first few months of life, babies are usually subjected to a test measuring their body. Somatometry
The brachial, cephalic, thoracic and abdominal size and perimeters are measured. With the data obtained, it is possible to observe whether the infants are within normal parameters. In this chart, one of the most common measures is the body mass index or BMI (weight in kilograms divided by height squared).
Taking vital signs and normal parameters
Somatometry is also focused on a concrete aspect of the medical profession, the measurement of vital signs using objective data.
- – The verification of body temperature is relevant data to assess the patient’s health, as it measures the degree of heat in the body (normal values vary between 36 and 37 degrees). Somatometry
- – The respiratory rate of the lungs is normal if it is between 16 and 20 times per minute.
- – The pulse is a noise that exerts the blood in each beat of the heart against the walls of the arteries, it is also a reflection of the heart rate or the number of heart beats per minute (the normal pulse is 60 to 100 beats per minute ).
- – Blood pressure expresses the strength of the heart to expel blood to the arteries. Each time the heart beats it pumps blood into the arteries and at that time the pressure is higher (systolic pressure), while when the heart is at rest between beats there is a decrease in blood pressure and this is known as diastolic pressure. Thus, the maximum blood pressure must vary between 90 and 120, whereas the minimum between 60 and 90.
In summary , there are four vital signs that are assessed using somatometry: respiration , pulse, temperature and blood pressure. Somatometry
