Localised weight chart identifies at-risk babies

By REBECCA WALSH


For years the weight of New Zealand newborns has been compared with figures developed in Britain.

But as the makeup of this country's population changes, so has the range in size of our babies.

Auckland doctors have now developed a customised weight chart to take those differences into account. They say it could eventually be used to help identify babies at risk because of their small size, even before they are born.

Dr Lesley McCowan, associate professor in the obstetrics and gynaecology department at Auckland University, said babies of Pacific Island origin tended to be bigger than Europeans, and Indian babies were smaller.

Compared with the British charts, which were based on European birth data, a baby of Indian origin could be wrongly classified as small or undernourished, or a Pacific baby might not be recognised as being too small.

Professor McCowan, who helped to develop the birthweight chart and computer program, said it had identified small babies, who were born prematurely or admitted to the neo-natal nursery.

When a midwife or doctor booked a woman into National Women's, her weight, height, ethnicity and any previous births were recorded.

That generated a printout of how big the mother's uterus should be at various stages during pregnancy, and an estimate of how big the baby would be.

Professor McCowan said if a baby was found to be small, monitoring and a timely delivery could help to reduce the risk.

Average Weight

European 3520g (7lb 12 oz)

Samoan 3640g (8lb)

Tongan 3780g (8lb 5oz)

Maori 3410g (7lb 8oz)

Chinese 3350g (7lb 6oz)

Indian 3130g (6lb 14oz)

Boy babies tended to be about 60g bigger than girls.