Low aboriginal birth-weight--prematurity or intrauterine growth restriction?
Two thousand, nine hundred and twenty-eight consecutive singleton public births at Cairns Base Hospital were studied retrospectively. Contrary to popular clinical belief, there was no statistically significant difference in the birth-weights, corrected for gestational age between Aboriginal babies and Caucasian babies. There was a highly significant excess of preterm Aboriginal births, when compared with Caucasian births. This study suggests that any attempt to reduce the high incidence of low birth-weight births in Aboriginal people should be directed at reducing the incidence of preterm birth, rather than the supposed high incidence of intrauterine growth restriction.
Humphrey
M D
MD
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cairns Base Hospital, Queensland, Australia.
D001724:Birth Weight; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples