[Birth weight percentiles of premature infants needs to be updated].
OBJECTIVE
To analyse whether the conventional so-called Kloosterman charts for birthweight of preterm infants based on data from 1931-1965 are still valid.


METHODS
Descriptive investigation.


METHODS
The Netherlands.


METHODS
Data were obtained from the 'project of the premature and small for gestational age' (POPS) survey in 1983. The population consisted of 855 Caucasian infants born after a pregnancy of 24-31 weeks.


RESULTS
In nearly all gestational age categories the percentages of small-for-gestational age infants were higher than the 10% they should have been by definition; the percentages of large-for-gestational age infants were much lower than 10%. After exclusion of elective births the percentages remained different.


CONCLUSIONS
These shifts in the birthweight distribution are probably the result of changes in obstetrics. The birthweight percentiles for preterm births will have to be updated.
Kwan
A L
AL
Ziekenhuis Bronovo, afd. Verloskunde en Gynaecologie, s-Gravenhage.
Verloove-Vanhorick
S P
SP
Verwey
R A
RA
Brand
R
R
Ruys
J H
JH
D001724:Birth Weight; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000502:physiology; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology
Percentielgrenzen voor geboortegewicht van vroeggeborenen moeten worden herzien.