Original scientific paper
BIRTH WEIGHTS AND BIRTH LENGTHS OF NEWBORNSFROM THE TOWN OF SPLIT The importance of developing own standards
Damir Roje
Ivica Tadin
Jelena Marušić
Marko Vulić
Nađa Aračić
Mirjana Vučinović
Dubravka Ranica
Karmen Čerškov
Maja Đirlić
Dino Markovina
Abstract
Objective. To develop the percentile charts of birth weight and birth length in order to provide adequate standards for evaluation of fetal growth. Methods. Data on 16563 newborns from singleton pregnancies born in the Depart-ment of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Clinical Hospital Split, were retrospectively analyzed. Over a three years period in 2001– 2003, 11667 newborns from 22 to 42 completed weeks of gestation were born. Because of the small number of preterm infants the investigation period was expanded: all preterm newborns born in the fifteen year period, 1986–2000, and the ones born from 22 to 33 gestational weeks in eleven years period, 1975–1985, were added. All mothers were of Caucasian origin. Only stillbirths and fetuses with congenital malformations were excluded. The fetal growth was compar-atively rated following new standards and the ones established earlier on the newborn population of Zagreb region, Croatia. Comparing the proportion of small and large for gestational age newborns the successfulness of impaired fetal growth recognition by new standards was checked. Results. The 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 95th percentiles of birth weight and birth length are presented separately at weekly intervals according to gender and mother parity. The differences between the frequencies of small, adequate and large for gestational age newborns rated by new and earlier established standards were statistically significant in total population, and separately in preterm and term infants. Conclusion. There is a justified recommendation for each institution to develop own birth weight and birth length standards.
Keywords
fetal growth; fetal growth standards
Hrčak ID:
9593
URI
Publication date:
30.6.2005.
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