title: Obstetric complications of macrosomic babies in African women.
abstract: A prospective analysis has been made on 145 consecutive deliveries resulting in babies weighing 4.5 kg and above delivered at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (U.N.T.H.), Enugu, over a 1-year period (1985). Babies weighing 4.5 kg and over are regarded as macrosomic babies. The incidence of macrosomic babies in this study is 11 per thousand deliveries or 1 in 90. Factors that predisposed to the birth of macrosomic babies include: excessive weight gain during the course of pregnancy, tall height of the woman, multiparity and prolonged gestation. Diabetes mellitus was not a significant factor. Complications include prolonged labor, post-partum hemorrhage, ruptured uterus, shoulder dystocia and an increased perinatal mortality rate. Maternal mortality was also increased. Ninety percent of the multiparous women achieved spontaneous vaginal delivery while only 42% of the primigravidae achieved vaginal delivery. The implications are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D004420:Dystocia / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005320:Fetal Macrosomia / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D011273:Pregnancy, Prolonged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors