Anthropometric indices cord length and placental weight in newborns.

A study of the 3835 singleton infants delivered at Sree Avittom Thurunal Hospital in Trivandrum India over a 3-month period in 1993 sought to identify correlates of low birth weight (LBW defined as under 2500 g). The mean birth weight among these infants was 2821 +or- 479.8 g. 125 babies (3.3%) were preterm and 596 (15.5%) were LBW. Mean birth weight increased with increases in maternal socioeconomic status; 17.9% of infants with mothers with low socioeconomic status compared to 11.1% of those with mothers in the highest socioeconomic category were LBW. The prevalence of LBW was 22% among mothers aged 15-19 years compared to 11.5% among those 35-39 years of age. The mean birth weight of male term infants was significantly higher than that of female term infants (2905.2 +or- 431.4 g and 2819.7 +or- 410.9 g respectively). There were no significant differences in mean body length head circumference or cord length by sex. Birth weight was directly proportional to placental weight and in both LBW full-term and preterm infants the placental weight was less than that of corresponding normal weight infants. Finally the mean ponderal index of LBW term babies (1.86 g/cu. cm) and LBW preterm babies (1.37 g/cu. cm) was less than that of normal-weight term babies (2.32 g/cu. cm) and preterm babies (1.78 g/cu. cm). Overall these findings are consistent with those of other studies conducted in India.