Factors affecting birth weight at the jos university teaching hospital, jos, plateau state, north central nigeria

Abstract

Background: Birth weight is one of the most easily assessed parameters in the new born. It can be used as an assessment of intra uterine fetal life and as a predictor of neonatal and later life. There are various factors both maternal and fetal that have been shown to be determinants of birth weight. The objective of this study was to assess the factors that affect birth weight at the Jos University Teaching Hospital.

Materials and method: A 3 year retrospective observational study was conducted looking at the 4279 babies born during this period and evaluating which factors could lead to heavier babies and some immediate obstetric consequences of such babies to their mothers. The required data was collected from the labour ward records and analysis using Excel 16.0.

Results: The results showed that fetal sex, parity, maternal age and educational level all have a role to play in the eventual weight of babies. It also showed that higher birth weights did not lead to worse perineal tears.

Conclusion: The conclusion was that the factors affecting birth weight in this study reflect similar studies with additional factor of educational level and buttressing the thinking that larger birth weight does not predispose to more severe perineal tears.