Physical and socioeconomic predictors of birthweight in Japan.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to characterize physical and socioeconomic factors associated with birthweight in Tokyo, Japan.


METHODS
In a cohort of obstetric outpatients from the Tokyo Metropolitan Maternity and Child Health Institute, Tokyo, and The Jikei University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan, 553 eligible women in their third trimester of pregnancy were given a survey investigating physical and socioeconomic backgrounds.


RESULTS
Infants tended to be small for gestational age when maternal pre-pregnancy weight was lower, and low income and female infant gender were significantly associated with a low birthweight infant. Further, birthweight compared with predicted birthweight was lower in the case of a female infant gender, low income, low maternal pre-pregnancy weight and low parity.


CONCLUSIONS
Income is a novel parameter that is associated with birthweight in Japan.
Teramoto
Satoshi
S
Department of Pediatrics, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba, Japan. rndth@jikei.ac.jp
Soeda
Atsuhiro
A
Hayashi
Yoshihiro
Y
Urashima
Mitsuyoshi
M
D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D017584:Reproductive History; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors