title: Normal birthweight at Port Moresby General Hospital: a retrospective survey of normal term births to determine birthweight distribution.
abstract: A retrospective survey was carried out of term babies born to Papua New Guinean parents at the Port Moresby General Hospital. Only babies of known gestational age from uncomplicated pregnancies who were delivered after 37 and before 42 completed weeks were included in the study. The purpose of the study was to determine the birthweight distribution at term of uncomplicated pregnancies for Papua New Guineans at the Port Moresby General Hospital. The sources of the data were the patients' case records and the labour ward register. The Epi Info V5 (CDC and WHO) statistical software package was used for the analysis. 404 subjects were studied; 116 of these were nulliparae before the index delivery. For the whole study population some of the findings were as follows: mean birthweight 3251g, standard deviation 403.5, mode 3100g, median 3250g, 10th percentile 2713g, 90th percentile 3750g. Birthweight at 41-42 weeks was significantly greater than at 37-38 completed weeks. The height and parity of the mother and sex of the baby also had significant effects on birthweight but the latest birth interval had no significant influence. Babies of highland mothers were significantly heavier than babies of Papuan mothers.
authors.affiliation: Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Papua New Guinea.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Klufio
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kariwiga
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: MacDonald
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D012015:Reference Standards; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors