Term birth weight and sex ratio of offspring of a nigerian obstetric population

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Birth weight varies from one population to another and is an important variable influencing neonatal morbidity and mortality. This study was done to determine the mean birth weight, incidence of low birth weight and macrosomia, and sex ratio of live term deliveries at the Federal Medical Centre Makurdi, Nigeria. METHOD: This was a retrospective analysis of live term deliveries between January 2003 and December 2008 at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, Nigeria. RESULTS: There were 9381 deliveries during the study period. The mean birth weight was 3.08 ± 0.61 Kg for all sexes. Low birth weight babies accounted for 11.16% of the study population while 6.05% of babies were macrosomic. Males weighed more than females though this was not statistically significant. The sex ratio for all deliveries was 108. CONCLUSION: The mean birth weight and incidence of low birth weight among newborns in Makurdi are similar to those reported elsewhere in Nigeria. The incidence of macrosomia at birth is however higher than earlier reports in Nigeria. The sex ratio is not only similar to those of other Nigerian studies but is comparable to findings in Caucasians.