[Peruvian newborn fetal growth according to its sex, geographical area, and maternal parity and height].

BACKGROUND

Birth weight is the most important indicator of fetal growth, fetal development, and nutritional estate of newborn, and several factors affect it.

OBJECTIVE

To know the fetal growth of Peruvian newborns according to fetal sex, maternal parity and height, and geographical area.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Prospective and cross sectional study. Successive newborn data of 29 hospitals of Ministerio de Salud del Peru was obtained during 2005 year, all of them without intrauterine growth delay. Student ttest was used to compare: male and female, primiparous and multiparous, and coast, mountain, and rainforest newborn average weight (meaningful difference: p < 0.05). Maternal height was related to newborn weight, height, cephalic perimeter, and gestational age.

RESULTS

From 50,568 selected alive newborns, male had an average weight from 19 to 41 g higher than female, and multiparous newborns had from 22 to 53 g more than primiparous newborns. Maternal height has a direct connection with newborn weight, height, and cephalic perimeter. Coast newborns had an average weight from 133 to 210 g higher than those from mountain, and from 76 to 142 g higher than those from rainforest; average weight of rainforest newborns was from 19 to 83 g higher to those from mountain. Weight differences due to fetal sex, maternal parity and height, and geographic region were meaningful among 36 to 42 weeks of gestation.

CONCLUSIONS

Fetal sex, maternal parity and height, and geographical region affect newborn weight. It is recommended to use weight and gestational age as correction factors to appropriately classify Peruvian newborns.