title: Intra-uterine growth, birthweights and maturity of the African newborn.
abstract: The prevalence of low birthweight in many African countries is higher than in developed countries. This is largely because of the greater number of babies who are light for gestational age. In general, mean birthweights of African babies at various gestational ages are lower than those of developed countries. This is due mainly to environmental factors, but an increased prevalence of twinning is one genetic factor. When babies of mothers in optimum health were studied, birthweights for gestational age were similar to Caucasian babies.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa; D001724:Birth Weight; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014427:Twins