title: Large for Gestational Age Births Among South Indian Women: Temporal Trend and Risk Factors from 1996 to 2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mean birth weight is a good health indicator for any population. In the recent past, there have been many reports in the West indicating that there has been an increase in the proportion of large for gestational age (LGA) babies. The objective is to describe the change in the incidence of LGA babies from 1996 to 2010 in South India and the maternal risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A rotational sampling scheme was used, i.e., the 12 months of the year were divided into 4 quarters and a month was from each quarter was selected rotationally. All deliveries for that month were considered. Only deliveries that occurred between 28 and 42 weeks of pregnancy were considered. The association between risk variables was studied using multivariable logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 35,718 deliveries that occurred during these 15-year-study period in the gestational age 28-42 weeks were registered through the outpatient clinics. The incidence of LGA was 9.4 % that has mostly remained at the same level. The incidence of LGA in mothers with gestational diabetes was 6.7, 3 and 17.6 % in overweight, obese and gestational l diabetes mothers. Overweight, obesity in pregnant women and cesarean section were significant risk factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unlike in Western countries, where the incidence of LGA babies has spiraled upward, has remained nearly at the same level over one and a half decades, in South India. The risk factors for giving birth to LGA babies in South India were similar to other studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Christian Medical College, Vellore, 632002 India.
authors.forename: Lakshmanan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jeyaseelan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Christian Medical College, Vellore, 632002 India.
authors.forename: Bijesh
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Christian Medical College, Vellore, 632002 India.
authors.forename: Veerasamy
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Silambarasan
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit IV, Christian Medical College, Vellore, 632002 India.
authors.forename: Reeta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vijayaselvi
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit IV, Christian Medical College, Vellore, 632002 India ; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit IV, Christian Medical College, Vellore, 632004 India.
authors.forename: Ruby
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jose
keywords: Cesarean section and trend; Gestational diabetes; Large for gestational age; Obesity; Overweight