title: Maternal characteristics influencing birth weight and infant weight gain in the first 6 weeks post-partum: A cross-sectional study of a post-natal clinic population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To investigate the relationship between certain maternal characteristic and infant birth weight and weight gain in puerperal women seen at a tertiary health centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured the weight of 318, randomly selected infants after a complete physical examination at birth and at 6 weeks postnatal using standard procedures and related them to certain maternal characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 318 women and baby pairs. Maternal ages ranged from 16 to 42 years, with a mean of 25.6±1.3 years. Mean birth weight of babies was 3.10±1.89 kg; mean gestational age was 36±4.6 weeks, with 9.4% and 3.0% of babies born having low birth weight or Macrosomia respectively. Mothers from the North of the country, multiparity and systolic and/or diastolic hypertensions were factors associated with low birth weight. At 6 weeks, 27.1% of infants failed to gain weight as expected for their age. Similarly, 37.0% of infants born to mothers with some tertiary education showed slowed weight gain compared with those who had secondary (19.2%) or primary (14.7%) education, P=0.03. Maternal weight at delivery positively correlated with birth weight of the infant (r=0.357, P<0.001). However, maternal weight and blood pressure negatively correlated with infant weight gain at 6 weeks post-delivery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrates that certain maternal characteristics could play a role in the birth weight and early infant weight gain, and are preventable through simple public health approaches.
authors: Department of Paediatrics, University of Jos, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos Nigeria.
authors: Christopher S
authors: CS
authors: Yilgwan
authors: Terkimbi B
authors: TB
authors: Utoo
authors: Hyacinth I
authors: HI
authors: Hyacinth
keywords: Birth weight; Nigeria; infant; weight gain
references: Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2005 Sep;19(5):342-51
references: 16115285
references: Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2001 Apr;73(1):57-60
references: 11336722
references: Circulation. 2005 Apr 19;111(15):1897-903
references: 15837942
references: Int J Obes (Lond). 2007 Feb;31(2):236-44
references: 16718281
references: BMC Public Health. 2008 Jul 18;8:244
references: 18638377
references: BMC Public Health. 2008 Jun 04;8:197
references: 18533023
references: Int J Epidemiol. 2001 Feb;30(1):81-7
references: 11171862
references: Nutr Hosp. 2009 Mar-Apr;24(2):207-12
references: 19593493
references: Arch Dis Child. 2006 Apr;91(4):312-7
references: 16397011
references: Lancet. 2003 Mar 29;361(9363):1089-97
references: 12672313
references: J R Soc Promot Health. 2001 Jun;121(2):114-8
references: 11467203
references: Pediatrics. 2005 May;115(5):1367-77
references: 15867049
references: J Trop Pediatr. 2006 Feb;52(1):24-9
references: 15980024
references: Pediatrics. 2004 Aug;114(2 Suppl 4th Report):555-76
references: 15286277
references: Ann Hum Biol. 1997 Sep-Oct;24(5):387-401
references: 9300116
references: West Afr J Med. 1997 Jul-Sep;16(3):165-9
references: 9329285
references: Afr J Reprod Health. 2008 Aug;12(2):7-13
references: 20695039
references: J Nutr. 2000 Mar;130(3):546-52
references: 10702583
references: BMJ. 2000 Mar 25;320(7238):840-1
references: 10731178
references: BMC Public Health. 2002 Jun 24;2:10
references: 12095425