Trends of gestational age-related anthropometric parameters of newborns in tertiary care center

Abstract

Aim. The current study aimed to determine the pattern of birth weights, lengths and occipitofrontal circumference of babies born in tertiary center. Method. Length, occipitofrontal circumference and weight of babies were collected from medical records over last 5 years. These parameters were then plotted in growth chart to find out the nomogram of babies born in our center. Results. A total of 3169 babies (1482 males and 1687 females) were studied. The overall mean birth weight (± standard deviation (SD)) was 2994±419 g, the mean ±SD length 49.4±2.3 cm, the mean ±SD OFC 33.7±1.7 cm. Conclusion. According to NFHS 5, 17% had low birth weight in Tamil Nadu, which is comparatively higher than our study (7.6%). This suggest that with improved care to the antenatal mothers we can reduce the incidence of low-birth-weight babies.