[Postpartum neonatal weight increase in relation to the course of pregnancy (retrospective study of 791 newborn infants)].

In a retrospective pilot study the weight development of 791 neonates in the first five postpartal days was related to clinical and social data relevant for the course of pregnancy. I. Pregnancy Course 1. For a variety of reasons, neonates of mothers hospitalized for more than two weeks during pregnancy had regained their birthweight by the 5th postpartal day significantly less often than infants of non-hospitalized women (7% versus 27%). 2. In newborns whose mothers had suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum weight loss in the first five postpartal days was seen twice as often as in the rest of the group (67% versus 33%). 3. Postpartal weight loss of infants from gestotic mothers tended to be higher and of longer duration compared to the remainder of the group. 4. The same phenomenon was seen in diabetic pregnancies. 5. Neonates from smoking mothers had a significantly lower postpartal weight loss and had regained their birthweight by the 5th postpartal day much more often (35% versus 23). II. Social data 1. Newborns from mothers aged up to 18 years reached their birthweight by the 5th postpartal day only half as often as infants whose mothers were aged between 18 and 35 (13% versus 26%). Even if preterm babies were excluded, this trend remained. 2. Distinct postpartal weight loss occurred much more often in infants of multiparous mothers (3 and more children) compared to the rest of the study group (29% versus 18%). 3. Somewhat surprisingly, newborns of mothers from islamic countries regained their birthweight earlier than neonates of German mothers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)